Fire Emblem: Dragon's Claw
by RyokoZweiRavenfall
Summary: She was looking for a job. He was an amnesiac she found on the side of the road. Ryoko and Daraen are taken in by the Shepherds, but with the appearance of mysterious creatures and a possible war their jobs are made so much harder, especially with her secret. But, hey, at least the company is good, right?
1. Invisible Threads

**AN: Well, here I am. After years of reading fanficions, I am finally publishing one myself.**

 **First things first. I DO NOT OWN FIRE EMBLEM OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS. I do, however, own Ryoko, her future kids, her sword and some of the plot twists, besides any other OC that comes up.**

 **There will be language and violence, especially from Ryoko and the Dark Mages/Sorcerers. There will be mentions of not-so-pleasant things. And there will be SPOILERS for the entire game.**

 **This is an AU of Fire Emblem Awakening. Eventually, it will deviate from canon. Don't like it? Nobody is forcing you to read it.**

 **Also, since this is the 'Premonition' chapter, it will have second-person POV for this chapter _only_.**

 **English is _not_ my first language, so I welcome any pointers you may have, so long as you are civil about it.**

 **That said, I'll leave you to the story.**

 **And, if you can spare a moment, review and tell me what you think.**

* * *

 _ **Fire Emblem: Dragon's Claw**_

 **Premonition**

 **Invisible Threads**

You are in the midst of battle. There's no second-guessing about it.

The sword in your right hand is sparking with electricity, your grip maybe more tight than strictly necessary. But not because of inexperience or fear.

No, it's because of anger and fierce determination.

And the black-skinned sorcerer- Validar, the bastard -you're fighting against is the source of your anger.

"Burn, bitch!" a woman shouts as she sends a fire spell towards your opponent, and hits.

More spells both from you and from her are sent towards the sorcerer, mostly from the raging woman. "Burn, _burn_ , **_burn_**!"

You catch the subtle red, blue and purple flames surrounding the woman- Ryoko, you think with a hint of fear, please don't get too carried away -and decide it's wiser to stay distant while she presses her attacks with both blade and magic.

It's not worth the risk of getting mauled.

You glance beside you, where your closest friend is observing the enraged woman with the same wariness as you.

He subtly nods towards Validar. _Aren't you going?_

You shoot him a look. _Are you crazy?_

The man- Chrom -glances worriedly at Ryoko, and you resist the urge to tease him for it.

Instead, you shrug- _she'll be fine!_ -and charge up an attack, blue flames surrounding you.

The spell misses- _Drat_. -and you shoot a few more, overpowering them.

 _Damnitall, stop hovering you manipulative bastard!_ Your mind screams.

"You _fools_!" Validar shouts when his avoiding one of Ryoko's spells- who is laughing maniacally -wrecks a hole in the ceiling.

He stops to charge a ball of darkness, still effortlessly avoiding the woman's spellcasting. "You cannot escape fate!"

While Ryoko cuts the spell in two- and you still have no idea on _how_ -you take the opportunity to fry the sorcerer with a powerful bolt of thunder, and manipulate the wind currents to slam him to the ground for good measure.

Chrom charges at him from behind you, and you follow closely behind.

Both your and Chrom's swords are blocked by dark magic, and your friend is thrown into a wall. You avoid the same end by jumping back at the last moment.

"Chrom!" you shout, worried.

You realize your error a moment later, and turn to block the inevitable attack, but Ryoko gets between you and Validar and punches him in the face, hard, sending the sorcerer stumbling back.

Her next atack is easily blocked, but she presses it. "Eyes on the battle, _bitch_!" she spits.

You charge, sword ready, but you change directions at the last moment, using wind to blast the man backwards.

"Thanks!" Ryoko says cheerfully before resuming her assault.

You let her be, sending minor spells to cover her as she needs. This is personal for you both, you remind yourself, but it's much more important for her.

"This is it, Daraen." Chrom says from beside you, recovered. "Our final battle. You are one of us, my friend, and nothing can change that! We _will_ stop him!"

You nod, jumping back into the fray and swiftly avoiding Validar's attacks, now focused entirely on you and Chrom.

He's hovering _again_ , you think furiously. The damned coward.

Ryoko doesn't seem to care much, as she easily jumps to match the height he's hovering at, sword swinging.

The blade is blocked, but not the woman's momentum, and this time she kicks him in the face.

That must have hurt, you think gleefully as Ryoko lands gracefully and Validar falls to the ground with a thud.

You charge in, but this time the sorcerer is ready for it and he throws you back with a spell.

He ends up getting punched in the face again.

"I'm here, too." You hear Ryoko hiss. "Don't forget I can fry your ass as easily as 'Ren."

"You are not worth my attention, wretch!" He snarls back, and slams a spell in her stomach.

This time you manage to avoid stopping, and shoot a barrage of spells at Validar in an effort to keep him from offing your teammate.

Out of the corner of your eye, you notice that Ryoko's recovery was not smooth.

A weak spell from the sorcerer makes her lose balance, and Validar teleports into the air just to collapse the ceiling on top of her.

You see her try to jump out of the way, but her screech forces you to consider she was too slow this once.

"Ryoko!" You and Chrom both call.

The dust settles enough that you can see she didn't make it.

Validar laughs. "You see now? You cannot unwrite what is already written!"

You adjust your grip on your sword and charge him with an enraged roar.

Multiple spells shoot both from your sword and from your free hand, fast and powerful, and a good number of them manage to hit the sorcerer.

You don't stop your charge, but continue to press him even at close range, pushing him towards Chrom.

Your friend carefully stays out of the way of your now few spells, and your combined assault manages to wound him enough that he's bleeding steadily.

Knowing that the blood loss will slow him a bit, you tune down on your spells in favor of the sword.

Validar stumbles back just as Chrom is standing right next to you.

You share a brief nod before shooting forward, Chrom stabbing with his sword and you with a powerful thunder spell crackling at your fingertips.

The spell and sword pierce the sorcerer at the same time.

Either of them alone would have been a fatal wound, but together you have little to no doubt that he will be dead within moments.

Validar's body falls as he burst into flames, and Chrom turns to smile at you.

"This isn't over!" the sorcerer shouts in rage, "Damn you _BOTH_!"

You jump forward and shove Chrom out of the way of the final spell just in time, and it slams into you instead of him, sending you flying backwards.

You hit the ground, and everything starts spinning. You must have hit your head of something.

Chrom rushes to your side, clearly worried and unwilling to see another comrade die. "Are you alright, Daraen?"

You try to nod dazedly, but a sharp pain shoots through your head, followed by a hissing laugh.

Red starts clouding your vision. **_At long last…._**

You see Chrom's lips move, but all you can hear is that voice.

 _No!_ You try to shout. _No! Get out of my head, you! Nononononono!_

The voice laughs loudly.

 _No, Chrom, get out of here!_

You try to resist it, to block out the voice.

Your magic builds under your skin in the struggle.

There's a discharge of power, and the red recedes, the voice gone.

You see Chrom's shocked and betrayed expression, and fear shoots through you. What happened? Why is he looking like-

You notice the small dagger sticking out of your best friend's chest, the thunder it's made of still shooting off weak sparks. Your own dagger.

"This is not… your fault." Chrom manages to say, "Please… go…."

And with that, he falls to the ground, unmoving.

Validar's laughter echoes through the wrecked temple.

You failed. You failed him. You failed her, too. You thought you killed him, and now your two closest friends are dead. For nothing.

"You see now?" the sorcerer taunts gleefully, "It's useless to resist! And now Lord Grima shall rise again!"

Red clouds your vision again as you fall into despair.

His maniacal laughter is the last thing you hear.

And then you know no more.

.

.

.

You have a massive headache.

That was one weird dream, you think, but you cannot remember what caused that thought.

You try to open your eyes, and come face to face with a very familiar woman.

You feel like you should know someone who has that kind of green eyes and blue hair, but you cannot remember who she is.

You cannot even remember why she feels so familiar. Or where you are.

"Y'know," the woman says, bringing him out of his thoughts, "I'd say that there are better places to sleep than on the ground, but I actually rather like the grass."

You manage to quirk a tired smile as she offers you a hand.

"Are you alright?" she asks.

You manage to choke out a 'yes', and take the woman's hand.

Your eyes linger on the strange mark on the back of your own hand.

She helps you up with a smile, and you forget about the strange dream.

"My name is -"


	2. Diverging History

**AN: Here's the first 'Prologue' chapter. It got a bit long, so I had to split it in two parts.**

 **This chapter, and up to the game's save screen on chapter ten, was all written during Camp NaNoWriMo last month, and just got minimal editing- grammar and minor plot holes that popped up.**

 **Now, for the disclaimer. I may own Fire Emblem in some universe, but thankfully for everyone's sanity, this is not that universe. I do, however, own Ryoko, the plot twists, and the other OCs mentioned.**

 **To the guest reviewer Koal, no, this is not interactible. I just thought that it'd be fun to write the Premonition from Daraen/the Avatar's perspective in second person, to sort-of mirror the beginning of the game. That doesn't mean I'm not open to suggestions, though!**

 **On to the story!**

* * *

 ** _Fire Emblem: Dragon's Claw_**

 **~ Prologue ~**

 **Diverging History**

The skies were clear, the grass swaying gently to a slight breeze, and the quiet was only interrupted by the occasional animal passing by.

All in all, it was a good day to be making the trek between the remote forest villages and the closest major town.

The traveler was, perhaps, half an hour from her destination if she wanted to hurry. But since she had no jobs at the moment, she decided to take it slow.

Besides, the weather was too enjoyable for her to leave the merchants' paths in favor of the faster routes the local patrols used to move between villages.

" _You're such a lazy-ass woman._ " The traveler's partner, a massive black wolf, commented.

She shrugged. "It's nice and quiet for once, I'd rather enjoy it before I take another job."

" _Whatever,_ " was the drawled reply, " _just call me when there's some action._ "

With that, the black wolf disappeared.

The traveler didn't appear at all surprised by it, and merely shook her head in clear exasperation.

"And he calls _me_ lazy…." She muttered to herself.

She sighed when she noticed that her hood fell, revealing short and messy dark blue hair spiking in every direction, pointed ears and intense green eyes. Her features were sharp, giving her a slightly mature look despite her short stature and, coupled with her slightly deeper than normal voice, made her easily pass for a young man or boy rather than a woman.

Not really bothering to replace her cloak's hood, the traveler continued on her way, idly wondering if she should take a detour to nap in the grass.

 _ **There's something strange.**_ A deep and raspy voice stated, interrupting the traveler's thoughts.

The traveler resisted the urge to let out a loud feral growl at the voice's words.

 _'Now_ what _?'_ she thought irritably.

 _ **Something is interfering with my power.**_ The voice replied, clearly unconcerned with the traveler's annoyance.

 _'And why should I care?'_ she snapped back, _'It's that damned cult of yours that is making my life hell.'_

With that, the traveler proceeded to ignore the voice in her head being it's usual annoying self, intent on continuing on her way.

 _ **Well, it's not my—**_

Before she could, however, she felt an unusual pulse of a very familiar power, one she had often felt clinging to the cult members she had taken down a good amount of times like a bad smell.

Cursing under her breath, the woman took off at a sprint towards the source of the disturbance.

 _ **[Dragon Blaze, Boost!]**_

She was somewhat startled by the sudden boost in strength, but managed not to stumble. Instead, she ran as fast as she could towards the source, pushing to the limits of her already enhanced speed.

There was a man and a woman fighting against a shadowed being.

The man was unfamiliar, tall with slightly messy silver hair and brown eyes, but the woman….

 _'Mother!'_ the traveler thought excitedly, _'I finally found her!'_

The woman was older than the traveler remembered, but her hair and eyes were unmistakable, the same dark blue of her own hair, albeit admittedly much longer, and the same brown eyes as the man.

The being they were fighting against was wearing a Grimeal cloak, but that was its only truly identifiable feature besides being of similar height to the man.

The traveler put all her efforts in a burst of speed to reach the pair.

The being launched a dark spell at the woman.

She jumped.

The woman screamed in pain, and the being pursued the now fleeing man.

The traveler paid them no mind.

She was more worried about the dying woman she barely missed saving.

"M-Mother?" she said, trembling.

The woman lifted a shaky hand to her face. "M-My child. My beautiful child…. I feared… I'd lost you… forever…. Please… take care… of him."

"Mother, no!" the traveler shouted, tears falling from her eyes, "No! I just got you back, don't leave me again!"

"Be brave…" the woman whispered, "my youngling…."

"MOTHER!" the traveler screamed in despair as the woman took her last breath. She sobbed. "I-Ish n-n-no f-fair."

 _ **Snap out of it!**_ The voice snapped urgently, _**That other one is doing something!**_

She tried to control her sobs, pulling up her hood for comfort. "Be back shoon, Mother."

 _ **[Boost!]**_

The second increase in power made the woman completely snap out of her grief, at least for now, and she quickly ran in the direction the waves of power were coming from.

Her right arm flared painfully, and she grit her teeth.

Finally, she reached them.

The man had been heavily injured, and the being was standing over him, magic rolling off it.

The traveler immediately recognized it as powerful mind magic used in possessions, willing or not.

Judging from the situation, it was certainly the latter of the two.

Wasting no time, the traveler reached with her own magic and put herself between the man and the being's spell in an effort to help the man her mother asked her to protect.

Blackness surrounded her.

.

Suddenly, she was fighting, fighting against a certain piece of shit, demon-looking sorcerer that was also the leader of the cultists hunting down non-humans in the last few centuries.

She barely managed to land correctly after taking a hit, but forced herself to remember that this was an illusion of somebody's mind and avoided an attack that would have likely 'killed' her with unnatural speed.

She focused once and a ghostly silver dragon appeared and completely destroyed all enemy units.

Everyone else but the silver-haired man faded, but this time there were two of them.

"W-Who are you?" they both yelped.

"A friend." The traveler replied, deepening her voice.

"Why do you look like Mother?" the younger-looking of the two men asked.

"Funny you ask that." The traveler said with a smirk. "Kate is my mother. She asked to get you outta this mess."

The two stared as the silver dragon lowered itself to their level.

She climbed on its back. "Well, what are you waiting for?"

The younger of the two hastened to follow, and she pulled him up.

 _ **What about him?**_ The voice asked concernedly, unheard by the other two.

The older of the men hesitated before he climbed onto the dragon's back, and they were quickly off, blasting through the defenses of the mind keeping them all trapped there.

The silver dragon made short work of anything trying to get in the way, and they soon managed to reach the boundary between the being's mind and the man's.

The traveler landed.

"Well, I stop here." She told them. "I can't interfere beyond this point."

Making a barrier to prevent the being from interfering with the two returning to their mind, the traveler directed the silver dragon she created to fend off the incoming forces.

 _ **Isn't this a bit overkill?**_ The voice asked amusedly.

 _'Not really.'_ The traveler thought back. _'The Summons? Now_ that _would be overkill. This is nothing special.'_

 _ **Because you could do it since you were six.**_ The voice shot back.

Finally, there was the flare of power that indicated that the men had finally returned to their own mind. The traveler quickly dismissed the dragon and returned to her own mind and body, back to the real world.

.

It took her a second to reorient herself, but she was quick to throw the confusion of switching between the physical and spiritual worlds too fast off and punched the cloaked being in what would have passed as its face, unleashing a torrent of magic on its mostly defenseless form.

It wasn't long, just a few seconds, before the being hissed in displeasure and disappeared, the magic that led her here disappearing with it.

 _'Well, that went well.'_ The traveler thought sarcastically.

 _ **No kidding.**_ The voice piped in, _**But at least we know what was interfering with my magic.**_

 _'Yes. A freak trying to randomly possess people.'_ The traveler snapped back, shutting down the connection to the best of her ability and cursing.

The man was unconscious and badly injured, and she couldn't do much, especially as the [Dragon Blaze] ability was cooling down, making using magic hard enough that even lighting a fire hard, let alone attempting to mimic healing spells.

The traveler cursed again, before deciding that she might as well screw it and try Summoning.

Quietly sighing, she studied the man as she carefully gathered magic.

He wore a pair of cream-colored pants, comfortable traveling boots, a white tunic which was half-soaked in blood from a large gash on the man's chest and a black longcoat with a hood and dark red designs on its sleeves which were oddly similar to the Grimeal's.

The traveler hastily took a card out of her pocket, and muttered a short incantation.

" **I call for the Drake Healer Fina. Summon!** "

A small silver-blue dragon materialized with a puff of smoke at the traveler's call.

"Can you heal him, please?" she asked worriedly.

The Drake gave a small bow in midair and landed near the unconscious young man, breathing her Healing Flame on his wounds.

" _He should be alright now._ " She said once she was done. " _He's probably going to have a major headache once he wakes up, there's been some damage to his mind. What in the Skies happened to the kid?_ "

The traveler sighed in relief.

"Some freak-possessing-thing-whatever attacked him." She replied, "Must have been that."

The Drake shook her head in fond exasperation at the woman's eloquence, and disappeared with another puff of smoke.

Now she just had to wait until he woke up, make sure he was alright, and hopefully she would get an easy escort job or at least a traveling companion to chat with until they reached the town.

Seeing as it was beginning to take a while, the traveler decided to take off her cloak, revealing her attire, which consisted of a simple black tunic, a pair of light brown pants and traveling boots.

At her waist there were a pair of belts, each with multiple pouches and holding a scabbard with a sword. An elaborate-looking knife was hidden under the belts, while a thick yellow tome was resting in a harness at her side.

Looking closer at the man's clothing, she noticed it had a number of designs that were identical to those on her own cloak.

 _'No, this can't be him.'_ She thought to herself. _'It's too good to be true.'_

Amused laughter echoed in the traveler's mind. _**And I think someone's in denial.**_

 _'Shut up.'_ She snapped at the voice, which for once obeyed her will.

She decided that she could at least pay her respects to her mother, no matter how much it hurt when she had just found her again.

She set a quick monitoring spell that would alert her when anyone would get near the area or the man woke up, and left.

The traveler choked back tears.

It was so unfair. The damned cultists had taken everything from her.

Her childhood, her freedom, her father, her chance at a semi-normal life, her family magic… and now, her mother as well.

Why, when she would have been content just living the delusion that she would somehow bump into her one day on a job and live happily for the rest of their lives?

She searched her mother's bloodied body for any personal effects she might want to keep, grim as it was.

The traveler's life was not cheap, and her money would only last her so long. An extra tome or sword could come useful someday, and she would have something to remember her by.

Her hands stilled.

Hanging from her neck, though previously hidden by her shirt, were a Dragon Knot and a pair of feathers, one brown and one silver.

Her marriage feathers.

Father had shown her his, identical to these, when she had been much younger. Ryoko herself still held both of her own, a lighter brown to symbolize both her parents.

Two feathers, one to keep forever, and one to give in promise of love forever.

She wondered of she would ever find someone to give her feather to, and receive another from. And she wondered if their love would not have a bitter ending like her parents'. She hoped so.

She took both the Knot and the feathers, but only kept the Dragon Knot. It wouldn't be right to take those feathers.

Her mother also had a few books on tactics, making the traveler smile sadly as she put them out of the way.

Seeing as she was done, the traveler took out a thin red tome and flipped it open, forcing herself not to cry and to keep her voice steady.

" **Dying Blaze**!" she incanted firmly, though her voice choked a little at the end.

Red flames engulfed her mother's body, shifting to a more gentle blue.

The legends said that burning the body of a loved one who died in battle with that spell would ease their passing.

The traveler fully believed it, and this was just confirmation.

Staring at the fire consuming her mother, the traveler finally allowed herself to break down and grieve, thankful for the voice's lack of remarks.

For a moment, she thought she felt someone embrace her and whisper comforting worlds.

.

The traveler returned half an hour later.

The young man on the ground groaned quietly.

The traveler leaned closer to the man's face, trying to see if he was alright.

The man's eyes opened slowly and unfocused for a moment, and the woman thought that it must have worse than she thought for him to get that kind of headache.

She wished that he was drunk off his ass and pissed off a passing bandit, and not recovering from whatever that being had done.

It wouldn't be the first time she found a drunk on the side of the road, and it certainly wouldn't be the last.

The chocolate brown in his eyes was a shockingly plain color in contrast with the man's hair, but for a second the traveler could have sworn they were a murky red instead.

Dismissing that as her imagination, the blue-haired traveler focused on the man lying on the ground.

"Y'know," she quipped, "I'd say that there are better places to sleep than on the ground, but I actually rather like the grass."

The man attempted to smile, but it was clear he was still half-asleep.

Resisting the urge to groan and rage at the unfairness of the world that she _still_ hadn't managed to nap somewhere on the grass, the traveler offered her hand to the young man.

"Are you alright?" she asked.

The man managed to choke out a yes and took her hand.

Both of their eyes lingered on the strange tattoo-like marking on the back of the man's hand for a second before the traveler helped the man up with a small smile.

The man's hood fell off completely, revealing slightly pointed ears.

The traveler decided to introduce herself. "My name is -"

"Ryoko." The man blurted out suddenly.

Frowning slightly, the blue-haired traveler gave a small nod. "Yes. My name is Ryoko. How did you know that one?"

The man hesitated, before rubbing his head as if to try to ease an headache.

"I- well…" he tried to explain, "your name, it just… came to me…."

Ryoko hummed thoughtfully. "How curious…. Say, what's _your_ name? And do you know how'd you get here?"

"My name is…" the man stopped abruptly, "…It's…"

He suddenly hissed in pain, clutching at his head.

She resisted the urge to curse. It was the worst-case scenario.

"Easy, there." The woman told him. "Don't try to force it, it'll come back on its own… hopefully." She muttered the last part to herself.

 _ **I don't think a hangover is-**_ before the voice could continue, Ryoko slammed the connection shut with as much force as she could, giving herself an headache in the process.

"Really?" the man asked disbelievingly.

The traveler nodded. "I had a few head injuries after which I had trouble remembering my own name. And this one nasty hangover. Can you remember anything?"

The man attempted to focus, but only got a headache out of it and shook his head.

"Amnesia…?" Ryoko asked herself.

Really, of all the people to run into….

"Hail there, travelers!" someone shouted from a distance, "Is something the matter?"

The blue-haired traveler turned towards the voice, and let the two approaching horses catch up to them, one bearing a brown-haired Great Knight and the other a blue-haired man and a blond girl whose hair was kept in a pair of small twin tails.

"I found him injured at the side of the road." Ryoko lied. "Nothing much, but he seems to have amnesia."

"And are you certain it's not a load of Pegasus dung?" the mounted knight asked as the other two got off their horse.

 _'No, we was nearly possessed and got his memories completely shattered. By the way, the Grimeal are after him.'_ Yeah, like that'd go over well.

Besides, there was nothing to prove the truth as it was.

The green-eyed traveler nodded. "As sure as I can be without being an expert medic. His headaches match what it felt like when _I_ had amnesia, but other than that…" she shrugged carelessly.

"I see…" the man replied sarcastically.

"Peace, Frederick." The blue-haired man told the knight. "I'm sure we can sort this out peacefully."

The last sentence was directed to Ryoko and the silver-haired man, who both gave slight nods.

"I'd rather be able to be at the town in time to get a room at the inn," the traveler added curtly, "we can talk as we walk."

The blue-haired man, obviously the leader of the group nodded in agreement. "Yes, it will be easier to sort this out at the town."

"Wait a minute, don't I have a say in this?" the amnesiac asked, slightly panicked.

"Would you rather be out here where we could be attacked by bandits?" Ryoko shot back.

"Nevermind." The silver-haired man said hastily. "The town is fine."

The traveler laughed. "Come on, let's get moving, kid."

"Aren't you younger than me?" the blond girl piped in.

"Hey!" Ryoko protested childishly, "I'll have you know that I'll turn _six_ next year! That's plenty old!"

"Six?" the blond asked, confused.

Ryoko let out a despairing sigh. "I had the _luck_ of being born on the 29th of February. I'm actually twenty-three."

The other girl nodded in understanding.

The traveler took a moment to observe the three who had decided to escort them to town.

They were the local militia, there was no doubt about it in Ryoko's mind.

The girl was a Cleric in skills at least, even without the Heal staff she was holding to announce it, as the pale yellow gown she was wearing was clearly not made for cutting down foes but rather for resisting spell damage, yet not of the kind used by more offensive spellcasters. She was probably also a noble, if the elaborate design of her dress was anything to go by.

The blue-haired man was also a noble and likely the girl's older brother from the way he subtly tried to place himself between them and the girl and the fact that they had the same intense blue eyes.

The man's clothing was much more apt for battle than the girl's, barring his uncovered sword arm which bore a familiar mark on the shoulder. He wore a dark blue tunic and pants with a golden trim, white boots and a white cape held by a pair of belts. A third belt at his hip held a red and golden scabbard with a golden sword.

Finally, the Great Knight was wearing heavy light blue armor, as was his massive white horse. He had a cheap bronze sword strapped to his belt, but the man's hand hovered towards the silver lance on the horse's saddlebags, and it was clearly his favored weapon. He was likely also the two nobles' bodyguard.

"So…" the silver-haired man asked, "what are you going to do with me?"

"Nothing bad, don't worry." Ryoko reassured him. "They will most likely just make sure that we're not a threat to Ylisse and let us go our own way."

The blue-haired man nodded in confirmation.

"Ylisse?" the silver-haired man asked, "Is that where we are?"

The Great Knight scoffed. "You've never heard of the halidom? Ha! Someone pay this actor. He plays quite the fool! The furrowed brow is especially convincing…."

Everyone glared at the knight, who clearly didn't believe the silver-haired man was suffering from amnesia.

"Frederick, please." The blue-haired man scolded.

Ryoko offered a smile and started explaining. "This land is known as the Halidom of Ylisse. Their ruler, Emmeryn, is called the Exalt. She took over after the war with Plegia some fifteen or so years ago when her father died." She shuddered at the memory. "Trust me, those were _not_ good times to be an orphan or a refugee."

The blue-haired man looked at her sadly, but recovered himself quickly.

"Well," he said, "I suppose proper introductions are in order…. My name is Chrom. The delicate on here is my little sister Lissa."

Said girl pouted. "I am _not_ delicate!" she huffed, even though she was smiling a little. "Please excuse my brother, he can be a bit thick sometimes."

"Hey!" Chrom protested at his sister's jab.

" _Anyways_ ," Lissa continued, ignoring her brother, "you're lucky your friend and the Shepherds found you. Brigands would've been a rude awakening!"

Ryoko laughed, while the amnesiac frowned in confusion.

"Shepherds?" he asked. "You tend sheep… in full armor?"

This set Ryoko off again, causing the two nobles to glance worriedly at her.

Chrom smirked at the amnesiac. "Hey, it can be an hazardous job. Just ask Frederick the Wary here."

"A title I shall wear with pride." The man in question stated. "Gods forbid one of us keeps an appropriate level of caution. I have every wish to trust you, strangers, but my station mandates otherwise."

"Don't worry 'bout it." Ryoko replied easily. "Caution has saved my life more than once."

The stoic knight nodded in acknowledgment.

"My name's Ryoko, by the way." The blue-haired woman added. "I'm a wandering mercenary, though you may know me better by the name 'Roy'."

"And I'm Daraen." The amnesiac piped in suddenly. "…I just remembered that. How odd. I suppose that's one mystery solved."

Ryoko nodded.

"Daraen? Is that foreign?" Chrom asked.

"Doesn't matter!" Ryoko shouted, interrupting. "Look! Southtown is on fire!"

* * *

 **AN: Well, that was it.**

 **The black wolf and Fina are OCs. The wolf will likely never be heard of again, but Fina definitively is.**

 **She's also a small nod to Sword Art Online, and originally was called Luna. But then I was reminded of SAO while editing, so I changed her name.**

 **The Dragon Blaze is a result of reading too many crossovers, and just a plot device that will not get much use. Probably. Who knows?**

 **As for Ryoko's lines with her mother's death, they are intentional. She has an accent, and it'll be more noticeable when distressed.**

 **Finally, the small sequence with the two Daraens was inspired by another FE fanfic called First Encounter.**

 **Hope you enjoyed it, and please leave a review.**


	3. Southtown

**AN: Well, I'm back with another chapter! The second part of the 'Prologue' chapter, though I will consider this chapter 1 for the story.**

 **Sorry for the wait of nearly ten days, but this chapter was a bit of a bitch to edit, and I still have to go to school and all that crap. Don't expect fast updates for this, because I will likely update whenever I remember to.**

 **No, I don't own Fire Emblem. I own Ryoko, the chant for the Thunder spell, and the two OC spells.**

 **Well, I'll leave you to the story.**

* * *

 _ **Fire Emblem: Dragon's Claw**_

 **~ Chapter 1 ~**

 **Southtown**

Chrom looked towards the town, noticing the black smoke rising from it immediately.

"Damnit!" he cursed, "The town is ablaze! Those blasted bandits, no doubt… Frederick, Lissa! Quickly!"

The Great Knight glanced at Daraen and Ryoko. "What about them?"

"Unless they're on fire as well, it can wait!" Chrom snapped back as he helped Lissa on his horse before taking off, followed by Frederick.

Ryoko ran in the direction of the town. "What are you waiting for, an invitation?"

"But what about-" Daraen tried to say, but she was already too far off.

"…A strategy." He finished lamely.

Shrugging to himself, the silver-haired man followed behind Ryoko as fast as he could.

Ryoko cursed to herself as she lost sight of the Shepherds, who all had the advantage of being on horseback.

She was getting out of shape, if they could lose her this easily while she went at full speed.

She needed to get to the town quickly.

Luckily for her, she had a way.

Focusing her innate magic, she stared at the highest point that she could clearly see.

She needed to be there. Stealth did not matter. Just getting there as fast as possible.

She jumped.

There was a loud crack, and Ryoko disappeared in a flash of light…

…only to reappear on top of a building with another flash and an equally loud crack.

She took out her tome.

"Now, for some bandit baiting…." She muttered.

She put on her cloak again, only on the other side.

This time it was a more colorful blue with golden and silver trimming and designs, making it look more like something a mage wore and much more attention-grabbing than her normal outfit.

"Who's there?" a bandit demanded.

Ryoko smirked, cackling slightly, "Your end! **Meet the fury of the Skies! Thunder!** "

.

Southtown was normally a nice town, with people coming and going at all times of the day.

Today, however, it was almost deserted. The people were all hiding wherever they could while the bandits were razing the town and stealing everything they could get their hands on.

The shouting and laughing of the outlaws was occasionally interrupted by loud cracks and sudden flashes of light, while the fires that had already been set throughout the town were occasionally put out with seemingly no explanation to an observer.

Chrom, Lissa and Frederick were at the southern edge of the town, fighting a group of bandits that tried to stop them.

The bandits were gathered mostly in front of the church, where their leader, a scarred, half-naked man had managed to corner a woman.

"Gwa ha ha! Get to it, lads!" the bandit leader shouted, "Grab anything shiny, and put the rest to the torch! We gots an example to set for these Ylissean types!" he turned to the woman, "Ain't that right, lass?"

"S-stay away from me!" she shouted, trying to get away. "Please! Someone! HEEEEEELP!"

"Chrom, we have to stop them!" Lissa told her brother urgently.

"Don't worry." Chrom reassured her, "After today, they will not be bothering anyone ever again…."

"Wait!" Daraen shouted from a distance, finally catching up with them.

"Daraen!" Chrom exclaimed, surprised. "You followed us! Why?"

The man slowed to a stop, panting heavily.

"I… I'm not certain myself." The silver-haired man replied, catching his breath, "But I'm armed, and I know my way around a fight, if you'll have me."

The blue-haired man nodded. "Of course. Strength is in numbers. Just stay close."

Before Daraen could reply, the woman that had been cornered by the bandit leader was surrounded by a powerful gust of wind.

"Hello there!" someone shouted from above.

With a small flash Ryoko appeared, landing besides the woman. She grabbed her shoulder and smiled. "Goodbye!"

There was another flash of light, and both Ryoko and the woman disappeared. A few seconds later, the blue-haired mercenary reappeared besides the group.

"Sorry I'm late." She said, smirking. "I had some _cleaning_ to do."

"And the woman?" Frederick asked, suspicious.

Ryoko pointed to vaguely to the building in front of them. "In the church with the rest of the town. The doors are barred shut and I got in from the roof windows, so they will be safe."

"Well," Chrom said impatiently, "what are we waiting for? Let's go!"

"Wait." Ryoko hissed, holding him back. "If we just charge in we'll be overwhelmed."

"What do you suggest we do then?" he asked.

It was Daraen who replied. "They don't seem to have noticed us just yet. We can use it to our advantage." His eyes flashed blue briefly. "We can use the alleys to ambush them and take them out a few at the time without the others noticing until their numbers are thinned significantly. Then we can take out the leader."

"Garrick." Ryoko growled out. "He's from the Gray Knives, rapist, infamous for evading capture and burning down villages- in Plegia. I wondered where he went…."

"Plegian, you say?" Frederick asked. "Anything else?"

"He's an overconfident coward, and I've heard he and his men have been raiding Ylissean villages lately from the eastern villages." The mercenary replied.

"If we surround him and block his escape routes, we should be able to take him out quickly." Daraen commented. "But we need to make haste."

"Indeed." The Great Knight agreed.

"I can take a few of them on my own." Ryoko offered. "Maybe a dozen if I'm fast enough. More if I have help."

"Then you could go with Chrom or Frederick and bait some of them closer to us." Daraen suggested. "Then we'll take them out easily."

"It's a sound plan." Chrom said. "I'll stay with Lissa."

Ryoko nodded. "Fine with me. Frederick?"

"It's acceptable." The stoic man replied. "Shall we?"

The blue-haired woman nodded and disappeared into the alleys, followed by the Great Knight.

Chrom, Lissa and Daraen followed them at a slow pace, not willing to stay too long in the same place.

"So, Daraen, I see you have a sword." Chrom said conversationally, "Is it—" he interrupted himself in surprise noticing a yellow book in Daraen's pocket, "Wait, is that a tome? …You know magic?"

"I… believe so?" Daraen replied uncertainly. "I suppose I should check."

"You believe so?" Chrom repeated warily. "Perhaps I should keep a few paces behind you for the time being…."

"No, I can control it, I'm sure." Daraen reassured him confidently.

"Now," he muttered to himself, "how did this work again…? Ah, yes…."

A bandit came into view, and the silver-haired amnesiac flipped open his tome, casting the first spell he found.

The runes formed easily around his hand, and the familiar feeling of magic rushed through him.

" **Meet the fury of the Skies! Thunder!** "

A small ball of condensed lightning shot out of his hand and struck the bandit, killing him almost instantly.

"Not bad." Chrom commented.

.

Meanwhile, Ryoko and Frederick had found a small group of bandits.

"So…" the blue-haired woman started, "how do we do this?"

"Could you lure them towards you with your tome?" the knight asked.

Ryoko's expression morphed into a bloodthirsty smirk. "I like the way you think. Keep them from sounding an alarm, and I'll do the rest."

The blue-haired mercenary turned her cloak inside out again, carefully concealing her swords with it and making sure she looked the part of a wandering mage. Frederick disappeared in the closest alley, ready to intervene.

Ryoko placed herself in clear view of the bandits.

"Hey, you!" she shouted loudly, grabbing their attention, "Leave the townspeople alone, dastards!"

The bandits laughed.

"What's a pretty boy like 'ye gonna do?" one of them taunted.

"This!" Ryoko shouted, flipping open her tome, " **Thunder**!"

The attack missed wildly, causing the bandits to dodge out of the way easily.

"Oh, crap." She said, even though she was completely unconcerned.

One of the bandits stepped forward, runes forming around his arm. " **Fire**!"

The mercenary didn't move until the last moment, and easily vaulted over the spell. " **Thunder**!"

This time, she hit a few of them, killing one.

"Not good enough yet…." She muttered in disappointment.

She had weakened the spell in order to make it branch out and hit more people, but it seemed she overdid it again. Oh well, it was still a work in progress.

"Now you're gonna get it, brat!" one of the bandits shouted, as the group she was baiting ran towards her.

Deciding now was as good time as any to bail it out of there, she turned tail and ran back in the direction she came in, towards Chrom, Daraen and Lissa, the bandits in tow.

 _ **Morons**_. The voice in her head commented.

Ryoko ignored it in favor of dodging out of the way of a thrown ax and another fire spell.

She found them not far from them, finishing off another group.

"Daraen!" she shouted, catching the silver-haired man's attention.

Daraen turned towards her and started casting a stronger spell as two sets of runes appeared around his arm.

Ryoko prepared her own spell, mentally counting down the seconds until Daraen was ready to cast.

" **Elthunder**!"

She twisted out of the way and turned back. " **Split Thunder**!"

This time, the spell worked as it was supposed to, and numerous bolts hit the bandits.

"Pick a god and pray!" Frederick shouted as he came in form behind.

He killed a bandit before anyone noticed it, and another before they could react.

"Have another!" Chrom shouted, taking out more bandits with his sword.

Ryoko rushed forward, swapping the tome with one of her swords and cutting down more bandits. "You're finished!"

Within moments, the skirmish was done.

"Well, that was easier than I thought." Ryoko said.

"Is anyone hurt?" Chrom asked. "It would be foolish to leave a wound untreated."

"Indeed." Daraen agreed, looking at Ryoko specifically. "Timely use of a staff or vulnerary should prevent the worst."

Her left arm and her side had a few small cuts.

"These are just scratches." She scoffed, but nodded her agreement. "But it is best to heal them before they get infected."

Lissa stepped forward, raising her staff. " **Heal**!"

Ryoko's wound closed and the woman smiled. "Thanks."

"Still with us, Daraen?" Chrom asked the silver-haired amnesiac.

Daraen nodded, his eyes flashing blue again. He hummed to himself. "It's strange… Here on the battlefield, I can… Well, I can 'see' things."

"See things?" Chrom parroted. "Like what?"

"The enemy's strength, their weaponry, the flow of battle…." Daraen replied. "I must have studied this somewhere."

"So you can size up the enemy at a glance?" Chrom deduced.

"Yep!" Ryoko piped in. "I didn't peg you for a Sky-Eyes, Daraen! How far can you see?"

"Err…" Daraen hesitated, "the plaza?"

The woman whistled in appreciation. "Ooh, a tactician Sky-Eyes! I can only see around me…."

"What's a 'Sky-Eyes'?" Chrom asked, confused.

"It's a Dragon's skill." Ryoko replied. "According to the texts, their human children inherit even it when the Dragon's blood is really diluted, though it needs to be unlocked. I have it too, but it's not much use. Just gives me a 360-degrees field of vision."

"Interesting…." Chrom said. "But are you alright? Don't rush into danger."

Ryoko smiled at him. "I'm fine, Chrom, Lisha is an amazing healer. Don't worry."

"You've lent us your strength, and that makes you a friend." Chrom told her. "You and Daraen both. Having an ally by my side gives me courage."

The woman grinned happily. "Thank you!"

"Thanks." The silver-haired man said, "but I think there's more than that."

"What do you mean?" Ryoko and Chrom chorused.

"I believe there's a tactical advantage to fighting side by side…" Daraen elaborated, "It's fuzzy… Wait, yes: working in pairs improves strength, defense, speed…. Yes, yes, I'm sure of it!"

"Really?" Ryoko asked. "Shall we put it to the test?"

She waved her hand vaguely in the direction of the plaza in front of them, where the bandits were.

"Can you use the flash thing to bring us closer?" Daraen asked.

Ryoko shook her head. "Not right now. It's a line-of-sight kind of thing, and the power requirements are absurdly high. I can only bring one person without passing out or becoming useless. If I hadn't been spamming it earlier then Flashed with that woman, I could bring two or three people, but that's my limit."

"I see…." Daraen said. "Well, here's my idea…."

.

Lissa, Chrom and Frederick stepped into the open, the latter two running towards the closest bandits and cutting them down.

"Blast it! The Shepherds!" Garrick cursed before turning to his men. "Finish 'em off! We'll deal with the villagers later!"

The bandits rushed towards them, and Ryoko shared a look with Daraen, who took out his tome and prepared a spell.

The mercenary grabbed Daraen's shoulder and held up her left hand, counting down silently for both of them.

 _Five,_ Chrom cut down a bandit to his left.

 _Four,_ Frederick's silver lance made short work of another.

 _Three,_ two more were killed.

 _Two…_ Chrom and Frederick separated, leaving a gap between them

 _One._

With a flash of light, Daraen and Ryoko appeared in the small gap between the two Shepherds.

"Back off! **Thunder**!" the silver-haired man cast.

Ryoko twirled her knife and hastily drew a rune in the air. " **Split the Heavens! Lightning Break!** "

Large spikes made of thunder magic suddenly rose from the ground in a straight line in front of her. The rune glowed briefly in the air before disappearing, dissolving the spell.

Five bandits dropped to the ground dead, and two more had been heavily injured.

Chrom, Frederick and Daraen attacked the rest while the mercenary caught her breath.

Ryoko fingered her hidden knife, contemplating something.

As soon as she stopped panting from the toll of casting that spell right after Flashing with a passenger, Ryoko rushed towards Garrick before he could get away, unsheathing her knife.

The knife was parried by the bandit's hand ax.

Garrick gave a nasty smirk. "What are 'ye tryin' to kill with that toothpick, brat?"

Ryoko bared her teeth in a snarl and jumped back.

She ducked under a swing from the bandit's ax and swiped at his legs.

He dodged.

She growled, backing off.

Garrick tried to take her head off with a wild swing.

Ryoko ducked under the attack and moved to the side.

He overbalanced.

She stabbed his shoulder, making him cry out in pain.

With a swift movement, she slit the man's throat.

Garrick fell to the ground, dead.

"Damned rapist." She spat. "I hope you burn in hell."

She flicked the blood off the knife and returned it to its place.

 _ **I ate him, does that count?**_ The voice asked.

 _'You_ ate _him? Are you an idiot?'_ Ryoko replied incredulously.

 _ **Technically, the Seal did.**_ The voice corrected itself. _**Same difference, really.**_

 _'Well, he pissed me off.'_ She shot back.

"Well, that's the end of that." Daraen said, sounding satisfied.

"Luckily for the town, we were close by." Lissa added, sounding relieved. "But holy wow, Daraen! Swords, sorcery, _and_ tactics! Is there anything you can't do?"

"You're certainly no helpless victim, that much is for sure." Chrom commented. "And Ryoko seems just as capable as you."

"Nah." The woman in question denied. "I'm not good at strategy, and I can't wield a lance to save my life."

"Perhaps you might be capable of explaining how you came to be here?" Frederick asked.

"I came from western Valm 'cause that place is messed up right now." Ryoko told him. "I was heading to Southtown to look for a job or two before trying my luck at the capital."

Frederick nodded before turning to glare at Daraen.

"I understand your skepticism, Sir Frederick." The silver-haired tactician said diplomatically, "And I cannot explain why only some knowledge has returned to me. But please, believe me. I have shared all that I know."

"You two fought to save Ylissean lives." Chrom stated. "My heart says that's enough."

"And your mind, milord?" Frederick questioned with a mild frown. "Will you not heed its counsel as well?"

"Frederick, the Shepherds could use someone with Daraen and Ryoko's talents." The noble reasoned, "We've brigands and unruly neighbors, all looking to bloody our soil. Would you really have us lose such an able tactician and fighter? Besides, I believe Daraen's story, odd as it might be."

Daraen reddened slightly. "Th-Thank you, Chrom."

"So how about it?" the blue-haired noble asked, "Will you join us, Daraen, Ryoko?"

"I would be honored." Daraen replied honestly.

"I _did_ say I was looking for a job." Ryoko said as she shifted though her pouches. "I'll be happy to accept."

There was a moment of silence before the mercenary spoke again. "I need to buy something. Be right back."

Frederick turned to Chrom.

"Milord, did you notice?" He inquired. "It's like Ryoko said. Those bandits spoke with a Plegian accent."

"Plegian?" Daraen asked. "What's that? You mentioned it earlier, too…."

"Plegia is Ylisse's westerly neighbor." Chrom explained. "They send small bands into our territory, hoping to instigate a war."

"And it's the poor townsfolk who suffer!" Lissa complained angrily. "Totally innocent, and totally helpless…."

"They do have us, milady: Shepherds to protect the sheep." Frederick told the blond. "Do not be swept up in your anger. It will cloud your judgment."

Lissa sighed. "I know, I know… Don't worry. I'll get used to all this."

One of the villagers approached them.

"Milord, please!" He said. "You must stay the night! We are simple folk of simple means, but we would gladly toast your valor with a feast!"

"A most generous offer, sir, and no doubt your hospitality would be grand…." Frederick told him, "But I'm afraid we must hurry back to Ylisstol."

Lissa, who was already imagining her meal, said, "Dark meat only for me, medium well, and no salt in the soup. I simply—" She interrupted herself, registering Frederick's words. "Wait, what?! We're not staying?! But, Frederick, it's nearly dark!"

Frederick ignored the girl's pout with the ease of practice and a grin. "When night falls, we'll camp. Eat off the land, make our bed of twigs and the like…. I believe you mentioned you would be 'getting used to this'?"

Lissa pouted again. "Frederick? Sometimes I hate you."

Daraen chuckled. "You've quite the stern lieutenant there."

"Yeah, well, 'stern' is one name for it." Lissa told the tactician. "I can think of a few others!"

"Frederick only smiles when he's about to bring down the ax." Chrom said teasingly.

Daraen paled slightly. "Duly noted."

Ryoko, who had returned, raised an eyebrow.

Frederick cleared his throat with a disapproving frown. "You do realize I _am_ still present?"

Chrom smiled mischievously. "Oh, we realize."

Daraen chuckled nervously.

"Milord remains as amusing as ever." Frederick drawled. "Now then, shall we be going?"

The blue-haired noble sighed. "All right, all right. Ready to go, Daraen, Ryoko? The capital isn't far."

The green-eyed woman nodded, surprised. "Oh, we're leaving already?"

She broke into a huge grin. "Yes! Camping!"

* * *

 **AN: Yes, Lightning Break and Split Thunder are original spells. At least I think. If I copied them, sorry, it was an accident! There's too many spells in the multiverse to keep track of all of them, you know?**

 **Who is the mysterious voice? It'll be named soon, don't worry.**

 **About the Seal... it's partly original and partly already there, and that's all I have to say for now.**

 **Ryoko's cloak... well, I imagine her to have a bit of a hobby of screwing with people, so I thought to have it black with silver trimming on the right side, the one she shows more often, and the more colorful side when she wants to pass off as a mage like she did in this chapter.**

 **Enjoyed? Suggestions? Thoughts? Questions?**

 **Leave me a review and tell me what you think!**


	4. Unwelcome Change

**AN: And I'm back with another chapter! I adjusted the formatting on the previous chapter a little, so that the scenes are separate again. I originally just put an empty line there, and it disappeared.**

 **This one was a bitch to edit, because it was missing so many little details that it's not even funny.** **Hopefully now it's better, because I'm not coming back to this one unless there's a plote hole the size of Europe.**

 **Now, be aware that from this point on, the story will start deviating from the original. And there may be major spoilers for the game coiming way earlier than they should.**

 **Special thanks to Galucky77** **for following my story. Hope you (and everyone else, too) like this chapter as well.**

 **As always, I only own a copy of the game Fire Emblem Awakening and not the franchise, though hopefully I'll finally be able to buy Fates too in the near future. I don't want to wait until the 20th, though.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 _ **Fire Emblem: Dragon's Claw**_

 **~ Chapter 2 ~**

 **Unwelcome Change**

Chrom, Lissa, Frederick, Ryoko and Daraen were walking through a thick forest, heading roughly North.

The green-eyed woman had spent the trip telling the amnesiac some legends that she could remember from her time in the Ylissean continent.

At the moment she was telling of the tale of the Dragon Medeus's fall.

"…so goes the legend, anyways." Ryoko finished her tale, "Who knows what really happened."

"And the sword?" Daraen asked, intrigued.

"Rumors and tales have it that the strain weakened it beyond repair and later reforged." Ryoko replied. "In any case, the Hero-King's descendants, the Exalted line, have it. I know for certain that the last Exalt wielded it, but I don't really know who has it now. I've been roaming Valm for the past eight years, and I was in Ferox before that, so…."

The woman shrugged carelessly.

"I told you— It's getting dark already!" Lissa complained loudly. "Ech! And now the bugs are out! Noisy, disgusting bugs that buzz around and crawl all over and bite you when— Agh! Won goph in mah mouph! Blech!"

Daraen turned to Ryoko. "It's not that dark, is it?"

Ryoko just shrugged again.

Chrom smiled at his sister's antics. "Aw, come on now, Lissa. Hardship builds character. Want to help me gather firewood?"

Lissa tried to spit the bug out, but she was unsuccessful.

"Yeeeeeuck! …I think I swallowed it…." She complained, clearly disgusted. "I'll pass on finding firewood, thanks. I think I've built _quite_ enough character for one day!"

Ryoko chuckled. "Well, if we're going to stop we might as well make camp and find something to eat."

"Yes," Frederick agreed, "I think a little hunting and gathering is in order. Now, who wants to clear a campsite?"

"I volunteer to go hunting!" Ryoko cried out enthusiastically.

Why, just last night she had finished off a spell that would let her throw small lightning bolts like she would with knives. This was the best opportunity to test it out!

"I'll come with you." Chrom said, hand on his sword.

.

Ryoko and Chrom were tracking some prey as quietly as they could.

They were not having much luck at all.

"At his rate, we'll end up having to look for rabbit." The woman grumbled.

"There's nothing wrong with rabbit." Chrom said. "It's perfectly good food."

"Not when I can eat a large one and still be hungry." She shot back. "Sometimes I hate my life."

"Don't we all?" the man replied.

Any further conversation was cut short by a low growl.

Ryoko's pointed ears perked up slightly at the noise, and she returned the growl. "Bear."

She normally didn't have anything against the animals, but when they scared off all other prey and she was hungry, it pissed her off.

Chrom's eyes lit up. Bear!

The animal slowly stalked into view, responding to Ryoko's challenge.

The woman was tense in a very animal-like way, the blue-haired man noted absently. It was something he'd seen once or twice, but he couldn't really remember where.

He kept himself as calm as he could, easily drawing his sword and settling into a stance.

The bear growled again.

Ryoko did not move a muscle and hissed.

What was she doing?

Then, before he even realized it, the two jumped at each other, Ryoko easily avoiding the bear's attack and throwing small and strange yellow knives at it.

And he realized where he'd seen Ryoko's strange stance.

It was not on a battlefield or in any conventional forms.

It was just a predator staring off a potential, dangerous meal.

Shaking those thoughts from his head, Chrom jumped into the fray, easily covering a small hole in Ryoko's guard and easily helping her finish off the bear that would become their dinner.

.

It was half an hour later that Ryoko and Chrom returned. They had somehow managed to kill a large bear and drag it back into their camp, which was then quickly skinned and cooked.

"It's been too long since I had bear meat…." Chrom commented as they ate. "Delicious!"

"Pass!" Lissa said, clearly disgusted, "Gods, couldn't you two spear us an animal normal people eat? You're messing with the food chain!" she turned to Daraen, "Right, Daraen? …Uh, Daraen?"

Said silver-haired tactician was happily and loudly devouring his portion of bear without a care in the world.

Lissa sighed. "I guess you can eat just about anything after not having a meal for days…."

"Just eat it, Lissa." Chrom told her, "Meat is meat."

Ryoko hummed an agreement as she bit into her own portion.

"Since when does meat smell like old boots!" Lissa cried out indignantly, "Wait, I take that back, _boots_ smell better!"

"Every experience makes us stronger, milady." Frederick reasoned, "Even those we don't enjoy."

"Really?" Lissa said sarcastically, "Then why aren't _you_ eating any?"

Frederick paled, "Me? Oh, well… I'm not hungry. I… I had a large lunch! Yes, quite."

Nobody who was paying attention bought the knight's excuse.

"Yeah, right, Frederick." Lissa drawled.

"Well, of you're not gonna eat it, give it to me." Ryoko butted in, eying Frederick's piece, " _I_ haven't had lunch at all!"

The Great Knight happily passed the bear meat over to the woman, who started eating that one as well.

Daraen had already finished his and was now eating a piece of meat he had snatched from Lissa.

"Ugh…" Lissa almost gagged in disgust, "how can you stand it?"

Ryoko swallowed and leveled the girl with a blank stare. "I ate much worse things. Consider yourself lucky that you never had to eat fried alligator."

The green-eyed woman shuddered at the memory and went back to eating the bear meat.

"This still tastes like cardboard, though." She muttered.

 _ **Yeah, but it's better than that crap.**_ The voice in her head commented.

 _'Agreed.'_ Ryoko thought back. _'I'm never accepting any homemade food from Plegia after that one.'_

Shortly after, the group organized the night's watches, just in case, Frederick said, and went to sleep.

Except Ryoko, who had volunteered for first watch and was absently playing with her magic, not paying much attention to her surroundings.

There wasn't much in the forest that could sneak up on her, and what could was not a real threat anyways.

Chrom poked at the dying fire with a stick, bored. His watch was, like that of everyone else before him, uneventful.

While the man would prefer it remain that way, it didn't stop the boredom from setting in.

He perked up suddenly. "Uh?"

Lissa yawned tiredly as she got up. "What's wrong, big brother?"

"Sorry." Chrom apologized quietly. "I didn't mean to wake you, but…" he looked around, "something is amiss."

"Define 'something'." The blond girl asked.

"I'm not sure." The blue-haired noble replied. "I'll have a look around."

Lissa got up to stand beside her brother. "Not alone, you won't! I'm coming with you."

"Thanks, Lissa." Chrom said, leaving the campsite with his sister in tow.

They walked for a few minutes without finding anything.

There was something unnerving in the forest.

What, he didn't know. Nothing natural for certain.

He'd been in this forest quite a few times, as it was a quick way to Ylisstol from the southern villages, and nothing like this had ever happened over the years.

"It sure is dark…" Lissa commented uneasily, "and quiet. Where did the birds go?"

The only times he ever experienced anything like this was when a particularly dangerous beast was roaming through the wildness, scaring off all the other animals.

But there were no beasts that could cause this kind of reactions here.

"Something is wrong here." Chrom stated, ready to protect his sister.

Neither of them was prepared for when the ground suddenly started shaking violently.

Lissa screamed, calling for her brother.

"Gods, what— Agh! What is this madness?!" Chrom shouted, "Lissa, stay close!"

The tremors subsided for a moment, but started again immediately after.

Chrom regained his balance easily, and noticed a small crack forming on the ground.

The crack became larger. And larger.

"Lissa, run." He ordered firmly.

"W-What?" the girl stuttered out, surprised by her brother's tone.

"I mean it! Go!" Chrom repeated, taking off at a run and dragging his sister with him as far away from the crack as possible.

Lissa was followed her panicking brother as well as she could in her dress, almost tripping a couple times.

They barely made it out before the crack exploded and liquid fire started pouring out of it.

Flaming rocks had already started setting fire to farther away areas.

"This way!" Chrom shouted, pulling her in a different direction, where he knew there were less trees.

They jumped off a small ledge moments before a couple of fireballs impacted just in front of where they would have been had Chrom not pulled his sister to the side.

They stopped for a moment now that the ground had stopped shaking, Lissa panting hard from the escape from the deadly fire.

She looked up, her eyes widening in panic.

A large rune circle appeared in the air. An eye of some sort opened in the middle of it, swirling with unearthly colors.

"Chrom, what _is_ that?!" She shouted, pointing at the strange circle.

.

 _She was cornered, her back against the wall. She had no way out._

 _ **Ryoko!**_

 _"Well, look at what we have 'ere."_

 _ **Ryoko! Wake up!**_

 _"Ain't you a pretty one, girly?"_

 _ **Wake up, damn it! Ryoko!**_

Ryoko shot to her feet as she was abruptly woken up by the voice's shouting.

 **Finally** _ **! I was beginning to worry!**_ The voice shouted in her mind, clearly sounding relieved.

 _'What in the Great Skies has gotten into you, Grima?'_ Ryoko thought back, grouchy at having been woken by shouting and still half-asleep.

 _ **You need to get out of there!**_ The voice, now identified as Grima shouted, _**Something is happening nearby, and you're in the blast range!**_

That immediately jolted Ryoko into full awareness.

 _'BLAST RANGE?!'_ she exclaimed.

She quickly scanned her surroundings with her Sky-Eyes, searching for anything that might tell her what was happening.

She immediately noticed that it was quiet. Too quiet, in fact. There was a strange energy in the air, and she smelled fire.

"Wait, where are Chrom and Lisa?" she asked herself, panicking.

 _'What is happening, Grima?'_ Ryoko shouted in her mind, _'What do you mean with 'blast range'?'_

The blue-haired woman barely wasted a second and jumped into action, roughly shaking the two sleeping men.

"Daraen! Frederick! Wake up!"

 _ **Use your own senses!**_ Grima shouted back, _**Powerful magic is gathering right on top of us!**_

For once, the woman listened to him.

She extended her senses outward, feeling the energy around her.

"Shit!" Ryoko cursed, hastily gathering their stuff and sending a minor stinging spell at both Frederick and Daraen.

The woman extended her senses as far as she could, easily picking up the many different and powerful magics saturating the air.

"Wha-?" Frederick mumbled confusedly.

"No time!" Ryoko shouted, throwing him his pack and trying to shake Daraen awake. "Chrom and Lisa are missing, and there's a strong malevolent magic around!"

 _'Tell me I'm wrong and these aren't_ Hordes _being summoned, please!'_ Ryoko pleaded in her mind.

Finally, Daraen woke up, panicked because of the sudden concentration of magic.

 _ **I'd be breaking our agreement if I did.**_

The agreement being, respecting the other's privacy and not lying to one another in any way. Less headaches.

"Come on, let's get going!" Ryoko shouted, dragging the silver-haired tactician up on his feet, "This place is gonna blow sky-high!"

"What do you mean by that?" Frederick asked tensely.

"Exactly what you think it means!" the woman replied, "whatever spell it is, its backlash will manifest right on top of us!"

The ground shook violently, causing Ryoko to curse again.

"Damn it, it's already starting!" she said. "Come on, Daraen, stop panicking, it's _not_ going to help things!"

She tried slapping the man, but it had no real effect.

Frederick led his horse towards them, and the blue-haired woman threw the tactician on it.

"Let's go before we get killed!" Ryoko told the Great Knight, breaking into a sprint towards the source of the spell.

The sound of hooves behind her a moment later told her that Frederick had mounted his horse and was following her.

"This way!" Ryoko shouted, launching herself towards a slope and rapidly sliding down, slowing to a halt at the bottom.

Frederick stopped at her side closely after.

Mere moments later, there was an explosion right on top of the slope.

" _What_ was _that_?" Frederick asked, his voice cracking with a hint of fear.

"Explosion." Ryoko told him, forcing herself to take deep breaths. "Most likely a fireball of some kind. Had we stayed a moment longer, we would have been caught in the blast."

"Are you calm now?" Frederick asked Daraen, whom he had to physically restrain while they were escaping.

The silver-haired man straightened slightly. "Y-Yeah."

"Good." The Great Knight said.

"We should probably try heading for the spell's source." Ryoko told them, "Chrom and Lisa are most likely to be there as well."

"What makes you say that?" Frederick questioned.

"Because-"

"Please tell me I'm not the only one who sees those eye things!" Daraen shouted, pointing at the sky.

"Author's pen, are those Outrealm Gates?!" Ryoko screamed.

This was not going well.

And from there, it was only going to get worse.

.

Two human-like _things_ fell from the strange circle in the sky, and started clumsily advancing towards them.

Chrom drew his sword, positioning himself between those _things_ and his sister as soon as he saw that they were armed with axes.

"Lissa, you'd better stand back." He warned.

One of the things roared soundlessly, black smoke coming out of its mouth, and charged at him with surprising speed.

Chrom rushed at it and slashed through its stomach.

The monster tensed for a second, but instead of dieing it turned to face him and tried to decapitate him.

Startled, Chrom barely managed to block the attack.

The monster was much stronger than it looked, and Chrom struggled for a moment before he managed to hit it in the face and throw it to the ground.

Without wasting any second, he jumped and stabbed it in the back with his sword. The monster tensed, letting out a moan before dissolving into black smoke.

Lissa screamed. "S-Stay away from me!"

"Lissa!" Chrom shouted, running towards his sister, who was cornered by the second monster.

Behind them, the eye glowed white as a figure emerged from the portal, landing slightly ahead of Chrom and dashing towards Lissa.

The ax descended.

 _Clang!_

Lissa opened her eyes and gasped.

The figure— a masked man —was standing between the her and monster, his sword stopping the blade just in the nick of time.

The man struggled against the force on his back to face Chrom, who had paused in surprise.

"Help!" the man called, struggling to hold back the ax.

Chrom nodded to himself, "Right."

With a loud battle cry, he charged towards the monster, which turned towards him.

The moment the pressure on the masked man's back eased, he turned and slashed at the monster at the same time as Chrom.

The monster dissolved into smoke.

Lissa sighed in relief.

The masked man sheathed his sword.

"Quite an entrance." Chrom complimented. "What's your name?"

The masked man turned to face him and gasped.

Another one of the monsters had managed to sneak up on Chrom.

"Behind you!" He shouted.

There was a loud crack and a flash of light, and the monster was turned to ashes.

.

"Outrealm Gates?" Frederick yelped.

"Yes." Ryoko growled out. "Gates that bring beings to other worlds… or times. Whatever is happening, it's not from this world. That makes it much more dangerous."

"We should get going." Daraen said, "Before this gets even worse than it already is."

The blue-haired woman nodded.

"True." She said, "Can you use your Sky-Eyes to get a view of the area?"

He was about to shake his head, but his view of the world suddenly changed, and he could once again see the 'battlefield' around himself.

"There's portals everywhere." He reported shakily. "Something is coming out of them. I can't see either Chrom or Lissa, but there's someone rushing towards something."

"They must be at the edge of your field." Ryoko commented, emitting a brief subtle pulse of magic. "Lead the way. That's the most likely spot."

Daraen glanced at Frederick. The man stared back, a hint of fear in his eyes. Ryoko was looking at him too, but she was more tense than anything.

Nodding to himself, Daraen ran as fast as he could towards where he saw that person, hoping that they would find the two before it was too late.

As he ran, he studied his surroundings.

There weren't many trees where they were, so they did not catch on fire just yet, though it was a matter of time before they did.

Pieces of walls and other kind of fortifications were scattered around, but they would only provide minimal cover against mages and not the true threat, archers.

There were some kind of creatures starting to appear at the edge of his senses and vision, though he could not identify them at all.

All he knew was that whatever they were, it was the darkest and most disgusting of magics that held them together.

Finally, he saw Chrom.

He had just killed one of the creatures, near a closing portal.

"I see Chrom!" he said, "And Lissa, too! There's someone else with them!"

"Let us hope they're an ally." Frederick muttered, "We cannot get there in time with all these trees in the way."

Ryoko grimaced. "There's something else."

Daraen took a second look at the area, and he noticed another of those creatures approaching the group.

"How did you…?" he asked.

"I felt it." The green-eyed woman snapped back, "It's as if all sorts of black spells are gathering in one place."

"They don't seem to have noticed it." He warned, "What do we do?"

Ryoko cursed multiple times and in multiple languages.

If he wasn't too busy running as fast as he could, he would have raised an eyebrow. It was certainly impressive, even if he couldn't understand half of what she was saying in his own language because of she had an extremely thick accent.

"Zes ku aker — Ai am going ahed." She told him before disappearing in the darkness.

Daraen was completely confused.

Frederick sped up a little before stopping.

"Get on!" he shouted.

He nodded and jumped on the armored horse as well as he could without slowing down.

The moment he was on the horse, they were off, and Daraen struggled to right himself as he directed Frederick through the forest.

"Turn left!" he shouted, "Ryoko just reappeared over there!"

The Great Knight obliged, and they finally broke through the mass of trees, coming out in a clearing.

Chrom and Lissa were just a bit further away, and Ryoko about halfway between them and Daraen and Frederick.

There was someone else with Chrom and Lissa, too, and he just noticed the creature.

"Behind you!" he shouted, clearly taken by surprise.

The creature raised its ax to strike down Chrom, but before it could, Ryoko was surrounded by electricity.

With a flash of light and a loud crack, she shot a massive lighting bolt at the creature, turning it to ashed.

Daraen sighed in relief.

They made it just in time.

.

"Thought you could kill my employer, did you?" Ryoko said, "Not on my watch!"

Frederick's horse slowed to a stop next to Chrom, letting Daraen dismount.

"Milord! Milady! Are you hurt?" Frederick asked worriedly.

"Frederick! Daraen! Ryoko!" Lissa cried out in relief.

Ryoko restrained herself from hissing in displeasure when she felt that the _things_ were closing in on them, likely attracted by her attack.

How were they supposed to get out of this one?

Daraen grimaced as he noticed the creatures surrounding them. "Are such horrific creatures commonplace in these lands?"

"They're not from Ylisse, I promise you that." Chrom replied tensely.

Ryoko approached the masked man hiding in the treeline.

"Hey." She whispered. "Thanks for saving them."

"You're welcome…." The man replied, surprised that he had been found.

"We can discuss this later, _after_ we put these… things… to the blade." They heard Frederick say.

"Well, that's my cue." Ryoko said cheerfully. "Any tips?"

"They can only be killed with powerful attacks, and they're much stronger than humans." The masked man warned. "Usually taking out their 'Chief' weakens them."

Ryoko nodded. "Thanks."

 _'Grima?'_ she asked mentally.

 _ **The brat is most likely right.**_ Grima replied, _**Be careful, though. There's something strange about them….**_

She smirked, leaned in closer and whispered something that had the man turn red before she turned around and vanished in a flash of light.

She reappeared besides Daraen and Frederick.

"They're Summons of some sort." She stated. "Likely what caused the fire earlier was somebody calling a Horde down on us."

"You know about these things?" Frederick asked warily. "And where have you been?"

Ryoko shrugged and shook her head. "Not much. From what I can make out, they're a Horde-type Summon, meaning they come in large groups. Judging from the mess made here, they'll be relatively weak and easily killed, but there will be _a lot_ of them.

"According to the masked man, they're strong and don't die easily, but taking out their 'Chief' will weaken them."

Daraen nodded, processing the new information and formulating a strategy.

"And how do you know all this?" Frederick pressed.

"I'm a novice Summoner, and I have a few Horde-type summons myself." Ryoko explained. "I can't _use_ any of them, but I _do_ know the basics."

"I see…."

"Well, Daraen?" Chrom asked, "What's the plan?"

* * *

 **AN: And that's that.**

 **No, I haven't tried alligator meat, nor do I want to try it. I just picked something that could live in the desert and would not appeal to someone who grew up in Ylisse, Ferox or Valm.**

 **Yes, the voice in Ryoko's head is Grima. Did anyone manage to guess that? Or did it take you by surprise as much as it did me when the idea popped in my head?**

 **I forgot to say this the last time, but the 'Sky-Eyes' are my excuse for Daraen to be able to 'see' the game map with all the units and terrain.**

 **As for the 'foreign language' Ryoko speaks briefly, she slipped into her mother tongue. I just wrote the first thing that came to mind that was not English.**

 **For the rest, you will find out later. And, be warned, this is just the first of many cliffhangers.**

 **How did you like this chapter? Leave a review and let me know!**


	5. Midnight Battle

**AN: I'm back with another chapter!**

 **Honestly, this chapter was really hard to edit. I went from around 2500 to over 3600, excluding the Author's Notes, and I'm not really satisfied with how it turned out. It's a bit jumbled and skips a lot of events that I feel should be said, but I guess that since they're panicking a little (or rather, a lot) it works well enough.**

 **Again, I don't own Fire Emblem. I own Ryoko, other OCs, and the plot twists.**

 **Do note that Sully gets introduced here, and that she tends to swear. Plus, Ryoko can have a slightly darker sense of humor than it's socially acceptable.**

 **Finally, thanks to everyone who reads this, and in particular Forestfirekid and Kanra-sanXD for adding this story to thier favorites. I'll do my best to make this story amazing enough for you all!**

 **Enjoy, and let me know what you think in a review!**

* * *

 _ **Fire Emblem: Dragon's Claw**_

 **~ Chapter 3 ~**

 **Midnight Battle**

"Well, Daraen?" Chrom asked, "What's the plan?"

Daraen thought about it carefully, scanning their surroundings.

They were in a really hard spot.

Most of the forest was on fire, and the eye-things in the sky still had monsters coming out of them.

What did Ryoko call them again? Ah, yes. Outrealm Gates.

"We need to get out of here." He said. "We can't stay out in the open."

"Where would we even go?" Chrom asked, "Those things are all over the place!"

"What about there?" Ryoko suggested, pointing towards a couple of small stone buildings.

They were slightly battered and looked like they hadn't been touched for a long time even from this distance, but he was sure they would still be sturdy enough for them to hole up in defend themselves from their enemy until they managed to defeat the Hordes.

"Are those…?" Daraen asked hopefully.

"Abandoned forts, yes." Frederick confirmed.

"Then we should make use of the tactical advantage they offer and hole up in there until we can come up with a better solution." Ryoko said nervously. "There's too many of them out here for us to handle right now."

"Yes." Daraen agreed. "There will be a lot less chances of getting ambushed or overwhelmed in the forts as well. Maybe some weapons as well."

"We can have Lissa check for injuries there and rotate guarding the entrances until we're done." Ryoko added.

Everyone was quick to agree with that and they made their way towards the abandoned forts.

"Captain Chrom!" someone shouted, "Wait! I'm coming!"

A red-haired woman with a heavy lance and red armor, riding a brown horse, came into view not too far from them, closer to the forts.

The group hastened their pace towards the forts.

"…Agh, I knew I shouldn'ta left 'em." She muttered to herself before raising her voice. "All right, you ash-faced freaks! Which one of ya wants to try my lance on for size first? I know just the spot for it: shoved right up your—"

"Hold, milady!" another voice, this one distinctly male, interrupted.

A man with long faded blue hair and noble attire appeared close to her, clearly having followed the redhead here, a bow in his hand.

"…The hell are you?!" the woman asked irritably, clearly not appreciating his presence.

"Ha! Is the lady intrigued?" the man said theatrically "Of course you are, it's only natural. I am myth and legend! I am he who strides large across history's greatest stage! The man who puts the 'arch' in 'archer'! My name, dear lady, is Vi—"

"Sorry, Ruffles. No time for this." The woman interrupted. "Onward!"

Ryoko smirked at Daraen. "I like her style."

"Virion!" the archer shouted after the woman. "…Er, my name. It's Virion. W-wait! Where are you going? Pray, at least tell me your name!"

"It's Sully." The woman stated. "And I'm a Shepherd."

"'Sully'! How divine!" the man, Virion exclaimed. "A starkly beautiful name, as befits its owner, truly. Will you marry me, my dearest Sully?"

Daraen gave Ryoko an incredulous look. "Is this guy for real?"

Ryoko shrugged.

 _ **I agree with the tactician.**_ Grima stated. _**That guy is an idiot.**_

Ryoko sighed. "Let's just go…."

"Will I what now?" Sully asked incredulously. "Oh wait, I get it…. This is a joke. And when I put my boot through your face— that's the punch line."

Ryoko's comment was a feral smirk that told Daraen that she had seen similar scenes before, and she knew perfectly well how it ended. In fact, she was anticipating it.

Daraen's world suddenly tilted, and he could suddenly see the battlefield again. He really needed to get a hang on his Sky-Eyes, because he was pretty certain that Ryoko had been forcing them to activate earlier.

They would be there soon. Sully and Virion were about halfway between them and the abandoned forts.

Sully had a lance, and she could wield it better than a sword. She was a Cavalier, skilled, fast and had a decent resistance against magic, but she was slightly more vulnerable to attacks and not too strong. It was clear to him that she relied on killing the enemy quickly and with precision rather than with sheer power, though it wouldn't help much in this case.

Virion, on the other hand, was a clearly skilled Archer, with good resistance and decent speed, but he was extremely vulnerable to attacks and his quiver held thirty arrows, which was not going to help with the situation they were in, either.

There were a lot of the monsters in the area, though they seemed to gather more around a spot just barely out of his view. And a small group of monsters was heading towards the pair, obviously attracted by the noise, hidden by the trees.

A second later, Daraen was back to seeing normally, the world returned to its normal speed.

They were nearly in spell range of the two by now.

"There's a couple of those monster closing in from behind those two." Daraen warned. "Sully and Virion, I think."

"I realize my manly figure and noble bearing can be overwhelming." Virion told the redhead woman. "'Tis common! So please, don't feel pressured to answer right a—"

Sully kicked the man. "How's _this_ for an answer?!"

They sped up their pace, almost running.

"OOF! G-goodness, but those shapely legs certainly can kick, can't they…" the Archer commented. "P-please, milady! Allow me to accompany you, at least! Mine is a cold, empty world without—"

"WATCH OUT!" Ryoko shouted as she wildly threw a Thunder spell at the monsters behind the pair.

Frederick barreled past them and cut down another two.

Chrom was close behind with Daraen as they cooperated easily to take out more of them.

Ryoko carefully sniped enemies with her spells while she guarded Lissa as she ran towards Sully and Virion.

"Sully!" Lissa shouted, "The forts!"

The girl slowed to a stop near the Cavalier, panting hard.

"Go with her, Lissa!" Ryoko shouted, frying more of the monsters, "You're too vulnerable on the ground!"

The girl hastily climbed on the brown horse with Sully's help, and the two women took off towards the forts.

Ryoko rounded on the Archer. "You. Not a word and get a move on."

She grabbed Virion's arm and dragged him along as she followed Sully and Lissa.

Not long after, Frederick sped past them and Chrom and Daraen were catching up.

As the forts were now within easy reach, Ryoko let go of the Archer's arm and stopped, turning to face the monsters pursuing them.

She raised her arm in preparation, waited a moment for Chrom and Daraen to move out of the line of fire, took aim and cast a dozen Thunder spells in quick succession, weakening the monsters enough that a quick Wind took them out easily.

Panting heavily, Ryoko made her way into the abandoned fort and dropped to the floor as soon as she was out of range of any coming enemies.

"Are you alright?" Chrom asked worriedly.

"I will be when the room stops spinning." The blue-haired woman replied. "Skies, I hate magical exhaustion _so much_."

Lissa quickly moved over to her and checked the woman.

"She'll be fine." The blond declared. "She just needs to catch her breath."

"So…" Ryoko said as she got up. "Plan?"

"Nothing that will really help us get out of here alive." Daraen said grimly. "There's too many of them, we know next to nothing about their threat and we have very little in terms of ranged attack."

Virion cleared his throat. "Excuse me, but I _am_ an Archer, you realize?"

"Yeah." Ryoko snapped. "With two dozen arrows at most. There's fifty of those things minimum just out of these forts."

"That _is_ a huge problem." Virion agreed reluctantly. "Even I cannot make arrows from nothingness."

"I'll come up with something." Daraen reassured them. "Give me a couple minutes to see if I can't work something out."

Ryoko nodded. "I'll go have a look around this place, see if there's anything we can use."

Frederick moved towards the entrance. "I'll guard the door."

Ryoko left before any more conversation could be had, Virion following her.

.

"Wait for me, fair lady!" the man said as he caught up with her.

The blue-haired woman laughed, entering one of the rooms on the upper floor.

"I'm hardly fair, now, Virion." She told him. "Why, just this morning I mercilessly tricked a bunch of bandits to their deaths!"

"Ah, funny as ever, Lady Roy." Virion commented. "Just when I was starting to miss you."

Ryoko groaned. "You are never going to let that one go, are you?"

The woman dug into a pile of old junk expertly, managing to fish out an old bow, which she threw to the man. "What do you think? Is it any good?"

Virion tested the string, and tried to draw it, but the string snapped.

He shook his head. "I'm afraid not, milady. It probably wouldn't last the day even if you replaced the string."

"That's what I need it to do. Last me until we make it mostly out of this mess." Ryoko replied as she leaned into a large crate. "Ooh, arrows!"

She took out a bundle of arrows, which were, unfortunately, half rotten. "I can enchant those for fifteen minutes so that they fly straight and have a little extra kick."

Virion whistled in appreciation. "Fifteen minutes shall be more than enough for me. I am the archest of archers, after all."

"I can still snipe from further away than you." Ryoko taunted playfully.

Virion sighed. "That is merely because you use your Sky-Eyes to cheat, Lady Roy. And let us not forget the magic."

Ryoko rolled her eyes, switching to the next crate. "Like I said, not fair. Never been, never will be."

"Hmm, what do we have here? An Elixir?" Virion murmured to himself.

He held up the bottle. "Behold, Lady Roy! I found an Elixir!"

"Whoo, nice!" Ryoko cheered, "Are there more?"

"Some Concoctions and Vulneraries." The Archer replied. "None of them appear to be spoiled, either."

"Awesome." Ryoko said. "Let's go back down."

The two left the room.

"May I ask if your new companions are aware of your unique skills, milady?" Virion asked.

"Which skill? The—" Ryoko stopped abruptly. "I can't believe I forgot about that one."

 _ **I can, because you're a damn brat.**_ Grima piped in.

"Take care of this for me, will 'ya? Thanks!"

With that, Ryoko disappeared, bounding downstairs as fast as she could.

"I have something that can help turn this in our favor." She stated, loudly, at Daraen.

"W-What?!" the tactician exclaimed, surprised by her sudden appearance.

"I'm a Dragon, like Grima and Naga." She said. "Transformations without a Dragonstone, fire breath, and all that stuff. I can do Partials."

She demonstrated by turning her arm into a large blade and then back.

"What?!" everyone besides Daraen shouted.

"Why didn't you say anything earlier?" Chrom asked.

Ryoko blushed a deep red. "I… kinda forgot?"

"You _forgot_ you are a Dragon?" Lissa asked incredulously.

The woman nodded, embarrassed. "It's not as if I get to use those skills often, you know?"

"Anything I should know about it?" Daraen asked. "Weak points, strengths?"

Ryoko shrugged. "With my reserves as low as they are, I can sustain the Dragon Form for about two minutes, and then I can only attack with my natural weapons— teeth, claws, fire breath —and Lightning, which is my element. My partial transformations last thirty seconds at most, but I can do them back-to back and multiple times.

"As of now, I can probably charge in with sword and Partials for a couple of minutes at a time before I need to lay off the heavy damage, though I can still use a bow and a metal string to shoot lightning projectiles at low cost."

Virion came down, holding whatever healing supplies he managed to grab in his arms.

"We found an Elixir—" He told them, "I have another on me as well, —some Concoctions and Vulneraries, a dozen of each, maybe a little less. There's also around a hundred more arrows, mostly useless, but they can be enchanted by the Lady Roy to be on par with Bronze or Iron equipment."

Daraen raised an eyebrow at his title for Ryoko, but nodded. "Okay. Here's the plan."

The green-eyed woman hit him with magic and his Sky-Eyes activated, before the air above the table shimmered a little and an illusory image of Daraen's view appeared before them rather than just him seeing the battlefield.

"Make it quick." Ryoko warned, "It's just a low-level illusion that'll last six minutes at most."

Daraen nodded.

.

The forts were in the middle of it all.

West and south of them, most of the forest was on fire, while North was swarming with those creatures.

The east, while it was a viable escape route, still held a number of open Gates and a huge concentration of magic, so it was likely a trap as well.

On the bright side, the creatures suffered from fire the same as normal humans, and strong enough flames would eventually kill them, so they tended to avoid the burning forest.

Ryoko had been the one to make that particular discovery as they retreated to the fort, felling a tree with one of her spells, which caught fire and fell on top of a group of the monsters, which burned until they dissolved.

However, that still left them to having to defend two small forts from the north and possibly the east sides.

With five fighters, one of whom was so exhausted she could barely do anything for too long, one single healer and an archer. And, while Daraen himself had magic, he had a feeling it would not give them too much of an edge.

His tome was a bit frayed and would not last too long and, while he knew that he could use magic without the tome, he also knew that it would be much less efficient and do less damage.

They were not good odds.

"For now, we just need to hold out and keep a hold on this fort." He told them, going through all the possibilities. "The beginning of this battle will be the most crucial. There will be less of these _creatures_ ," he spat the word with clear disgust, "and that means that we will be able to make a quick break for that other fort and raid it for more supplies. Weapons, arrows, potions… anything that can be of use, we'll need it before we're overrun."

"There's a hole in the wall I can reach if I jump from the roof." Ryoko said, "It's a close thing, but it may buy us some time."

Chrom nodded. "And time is what we need most at the moment. Who else will go? Ryoko cannot carry everything herself."

"If I battle on foot for a moment, you may be able to carry more." Frederick suggested, "Sully and her own horse can help do so more."

Everyone murmured an agreement.

"I shall go as well." Virion volunteered, "I will not be of much use if I waste all my arrows immediately."

Daraen nodded, "And you'll be able to speed it up further. While they do that, me, Chrom and Frederick will try to hold them off. Chrom and Frederick, you two are best keeping them at a distance while I deal with any that manage to get past you. Lissa, you'll have to stay in the fort for this. We _cannot_ afford you getting hurt."

Lissa pouted, but she could see his point. "I know…. Just be sure to come to me immediately if you get injured!"

Ryoko hummed. "You'll have to set off a signal if you're overwhelmed." She pitched in, "That way we'll know that it has gone to shit and to return immediately with whatever we manage to grab. Green light would be best here."

"Yes." Daraen agreed, "Once we're reunited, I want Virion to go to the roof immediately and start shooting anything that gets too close. Ryoko, Sully, you two will cover for Chrom and Frederick while they sort out whatever you bring."

"And once the Hordes start thickening?" Ryoko questioned.

"We'll form three lines of defense." Daraen said. "The first will be me and Chrom. We'll be holding off the worst of them. Sully and Frederick will be our second line of defense." He turned to the two in question, "You will have to use your superior mobility to pick off stragglers and help us where you can."

He turned to the archer. "Virion, you'll be on the roof the entire time. Try to spread out your arrows, we'll need them to cover the other sides and kill those things in case they get the jump on someone."

Finally, he turned to Ryoko. "Ryoko, you will have to alternate between the roof with that bow you mentioned and actually fighting up front with us. We need to locate and draw out the 'Chief' if we want to win, and as soon as we do, go Dragon and take it out as fast as you can."

Everyone shouted an agreement with the plan just as the illusion shimmered and disappeared.

"Well then," Chrom declared. "We have out plan. Let's move out!"

.

Ryoko fingered the metal string she had placed on the half-rotten bow, electricity dancing on her aching fingers.

The monsters were advancing closer and closer.

Quickly, she drew the bow and formed three arrows with her lightning, releasing them a moment later.

Without waiting to see if she hit anything, she drew the bow again, which creaked dangerously, formed a single arrow and shot it as far as she could.

Then she unstrung the bow and stored the metal string in one of her pouches, finally allowing herself to slouch to the pain of half an hour of intense fighting and transforming and shooting and casting.

She couldn't take this anymore.

Her reserves were getting too low, her focus too scattered and her usual strength was gone.

"I'm done!" she announced. "I—"

A powerful pulse of magic rippled through the air.

 _'What was that?'_ she snapped irritably, _'It better not be more of those things….'_

 _ **Seems like you hit something with that last arrow.**_ Grima deadpanned.

 _'No shit?'_ she shot back sarcastically, _'And what in crap did I hit? A space rock?'_

 _ **The Hordes seem to have been weakened. Maybe you hit whatever was anchoring the spell?**_

That made Ryoko pause. She was an idiot.

 _'Of course! Taking out the anchor would weaken or outright kill the Hordes! I knew it was strange that there were so many! You're a genius, Grima! Thanks!'_

 _ **Thanks, I guess.**_ Grima said, surprised by the fact that he hadn't been insulted once in the whole conversation, but had been complimented instead.

"I think I found a way to stop these things!" Ryoko shouted. "Be right back!"

Hastily taking a small bottle with a clear blue liquid inside, she ran towards the point where the rippling magic had originated from as she drank its contents, and jumped off the fort.

In midair, her body shifted to that of a small silver dragon with two sets of powerful wings and spikes.

Beating her wings twice, she swooped down and used her breath to call down lightning from the sky on a wide area, taking out a good number of the monsters and weakening even more.

She sped forward for a few seconds while rising in altitude, but she began quickly losing momentum after just a few more wingbeats.

She executed a steep dive, gaining speed with her weight before she her body returned to being mostly human, only her head and arms remaining dragon-like, and also retaining her wings and tail long enough to land…

In the middle of a massive group of the unknown monster Horde.

 _ **Well, shit.**_ Grima deadpanned.

"Crap." Ryoko said, before slashing at one of the monsters with her claw and killing it as her wings disappeared.

She ducked under an ax and jumped forward.

Another down.

An arrow sailed past her cheek and took out another.

Her eyes turned an intense blue.

Her vision shifted.

She sidestepped a sword.

Three… four… eight.

Her hands became a massive dragon maw which shot out a ball of thunder.

Twenty, twenty-one…

She raced forward.

Sword to the left.

Arrow missed her face by a hair.

Her hand went to the strangely decorated knife.

 _'Grima…'_ she thought, as if it pained her to even speak the words, _'I need your help.'_

Stab right, lit the throat of the one in front of her.

 _'…Please!'_

She was getting tired. Her attacks were becoming sloppier.

But she wouldn't give up.

Not while she was so close to her goal.

Not when she finally found a semi-stable job.

And definitively, _absolutely_ not while she still drew breath.

Without warning, she felt a sharp pain in her back as she was hit by a hand ax from behind mere inches from the strange rock.

Her cry of pain turned into a ferocious roar as she stabbed at the rock with all she had.

Ryoko had barely managed to chip it when wisps of dark magic surrounded her.

She let out a pulse of magic through the blade and into the rock, which shattered moments before the spell sent the green-eyed Dragon to the ground.

 _ **I like your spunk, Dragon.**_ Grima told her. _**Don't you dare die on me!**_

 _'Never.'_ Ryoko replied, even as black spots danced in her vision. _'I will not die anytime this century!'_

" _ **Well, look at what we have here.**_ " A very, very familiar voice drawled. " _ **A lone Dragon, trying to ruin my plans….**_ "

 _'G-Grima?'_ Ryoko asked tentatively. _'What is that?'_

 _ **Trouble, I'm afraid.**_ He told her. _**Very bad trouble.**_

* * *

 **AN: Yeah. Another cliffhanger.**

 **The first section has a mixed Ryoko/Daraen point of view, so to clear things up a little: the reason why it's not explicticily stated that Ryoko knows Virion is because that part is from Daraen's view, so he assumes that Ryoko smirking is because she has dealt with annoying flirts herself and she likes Sully's way of dealing with them. Yes, that's a part of it, but she's also a bit like Fem!Morgan, and enjoys seeing the local flirt fail at getting the ladies.**

 **As for the 'Lady Roy' thing, Virion is just now learning Ryoko's real name, but the nickname still sticks, because he has known her as Roy longer than as Ryoko.**

 **Next, the healing potions and arrows. The potions likely have some preservation magic on their containers, while I'd imagine that poor-quality _wooden_ arrows would start rotting at some point after ten years.**

 **Yes, Grima and Ryoko are assholes to one another. They have... issues. I don't think you'd be happy either if you had to deal with an annoying, overly powerful entity that is only kept sealed because you're alive and said entity does everything in its power to annoy you.**

 **But who is the mysterious figure? And what will happen to the others now that Ryoko is in very bad trouble?** **Find out in the next chapter! For now, hope you enjoyed it, and consider leaving a review!**


	6. Fight To Survive

**AN: Well, here's another chapter!**

 **Last time, the group encounters strange creatures in the forest south of Ylisstol, and Ryoko almost dies multiple times.**

 **As usual, I only own Ryoko, the plot twists and any original spells/characters that might pop up. Oh, and beware of Ryoko and the others swearing and being violent. They _are_ in the middle of a battle, after all.**

 **Enjoy, and tell me what you think in a review!**

* * *

 _ **Fire Emblem: Dragon's Claw**_

 **~ Chapter 4 ~**

 **Fight To Survive**

 _'G-Grima?'_ Ryoko asked tentatively. _'What is that?'_

 _ **Trouble, I'm afraid.**_ He told her. _**Very bad trouble.**_

The figure came into view. They were wearing a longcoat very similar to Daraen's, only it had the Grimeal symbol drawn on it in menacing purple. Their face was hidden by a hood.

He— the figure was a him —was powerful, much more powerful than anything she had ever seen save for the worst of her nightmares.

He had a powerful sword and a Mire and a Ruin tome, but she could tell that he didn't need them, and he could bend Natural magic to his will. The most terrifying thing, however, was that she couldn't read him, and he wasn't even trying to hide. In fact, he was flaring his presence.

And she knew that presence very well. It was the presence of a Dragon, yet stronger.

Whatever this being was, it was dangerous.

 _'H-How is— How does he have the same signature as you?'_ Ryoko asked dazedly.

 _ **I don't know.**_ Grima replied honestly. _**But you**_ **need** _ **to get past him and destroy that rock! The others' lives depend on it!**_

She cursed mentally when she noticed that the damned rock had reformed not far from the hooded man.

" _ **I can't let you do that, now, can I?**_ " the being hissed dangerously.

Ryoko gave an enraged hiss in reply, struggling to rise to her feet.

 _'G-Grima, please, help!'_ Ryoko pleaded desperately.

 _ **Say the incantation.**_ Grima ordered brusquely.

 _'W-What?!'_ she mentally shouted.

 _ **Say it.**_ He commanded again, _ **Recite the incantation you were taught to tap on the Seal.**_

 _'I am not letting you take over!'_ the green-eyed Dragon replied indignantly.

 _ **You will not.**_ The other replied irritably. _ **I will merely give you a boost. Now start chanting already!**_

 _'I'm sorry, alright?'_ Ryoko snapped at him, holding back tears. _'I'm sorry for all the crap I said to you over the years! Now,_ please _, I beg of you, just help me get through this alive!'_

… _ **I apologize as well,**_ Grima said softly, _ **for what I put you through over the years. But I need you to say that incantation to be of any help against this guy. Please, Ryoko.**_

 _'I… Alright.'_ Ryoko conceded reluctantly.

She took a shaky breath to steady herself and forced her body to rise and move out of the way of the hooded man's dark magic.

" _ **Still not giving up, Dragon?**_ " the being taunted, " _ **I will teach you to obey to your betters!**_ "

She was literally at her limit.

The past few days had been one battle after another, then she had to summon twice in a row, fought a mental battle for someone else, and then she had been Flashing nonstop through Southtown and now she had been using magic and transformations without pause or rest for what felt like the whole night.

Injuries, pain, lack of proper rest and exhaustion were all working against her.

However….

"I-" Ryoko growled through the pain, "I will _never_ give up!"

…She would not let down the ones who accepted her without question and offered her a home. So she chanted.

«I call for the Guardian Dragon, the Protector Of Our Kind, to request His aid for the battle to come. This I ask, to protect those dear to me! Lend me your strength!»

 _ **You owe me ale for this.**_ Grima said sarcastically.

 _'I'll take you out for drinks later.'_ Ryoko replied in the same deadpan tone as him.

No sooner had she finished that thought that incredible power flooded through her whole being.

She felt her strength return, her wounds heal, her magic being restored.

Her knife glowed briefly before it lengthened, the three-wings crossguard becoming larger and the metal changing from dark iron to a shiny silver.

It had become a bastard sword, she idly thought.

 _'Thank you, Grima.'_ She thought, _'I won't waste this chance!'_

Ryoko gave a brief twirl of her new sword to test it before settling into a stance.

" _ **Still you try to resist?**_ " the hooded not-man asked with a sigh.

Ryoko growled defiantly and tensed.

" _ **Very well.**_ " The being sighed. " _ **It is your funeral.**_ "

"I don't think so!" Ryoko shouted, activating her Sky-Eyes.

The world tilted on its axis.

.

The lone warrior who had saved Lissa earlier was surrounded by monsters, fighting with clear experience despite his tiredness.

"How are there so many of them?!" he asked himself as he made short work of a small group. "There should be less of them by now!"

He cut down one of the monsters that was attacking him from behind.

"Think, L-Marth, think."

The man decided that enough was enough and climbed up a ledge where he would be safe for a few moments to catch a breather.

"What did Auntie say about Summoning again…?" the man, Marth, asked himself.

He thought back to the lessons the woman had taught them all back when she was still alive. How she summoned Hordes, specifically.

If he remembered, she was too weak to maintain a full Horde and used a gem to buffer the spells keeping the Summons in this world….

"Wait, that's it!" Marth exclaimed. "Something is anchoring the spell keeping the Risen here!"

His strength renewed by his realization, Marth jumped off the ledge and back onto the ground before cutting a path through the monsters towards the biggest source of magical energy he could sense.

.

Virion was becoming worried. The Lady Roy— or Ryoko, as was her real name —had yet to return from her quick escapade.

And he may not be as adept as magic as he was with the bow, but the noble certainly knew the basics and how to lessen the impact of harmful magics, which was the reason for his unusually high resistance to it even without specialized armor.

And right now his senses were detecting a large source of an unknown power not far from them.

He could also sense that the magic surrounding those foul beasts had been somehow disrupted for a few moments earlier, but they kept coming.

Virion took careful aim and shot another of the arrows Ryoko had enchanted for him.

One of the beasts which was coming from behind the beautiful Lady Sully dissolved into smoke with a loud cry, alerting the fair redhead to the threat.

The man smiled to himself despite the situation. He was happy that his impressive skill with the bow was coming to be of use, especially since his own quiver was half-empty and the enchanted arrows remaining were very little.

He decided that he would go through them and then go down to watch over Lady Lissa just in case one of the beasts managed to come too close to the fort.

Draw. Aim. Shoot.

A beast near the Great Knight fell.

He really hoped that whatever Lady Roy was doing, she did it fast.

Draw. Aim. Shoot.

The beast about to take the tactician's head off burst into black smoke.

Their survival depended upon it….

.

Daraen roared as he slashed through monster after monster, his back to Chrom's own in an effort to protect themselves.

The blue-haired noble had already been healed twice by his sister, not that the tactician was much better, and he was clearly feeling the battle wear him down.

Everyone was.

"Do these things ever end?!" Chrom asked, clearly frustrated with how things were going.

Daraen parried an ax and blasted the monster off him with his thunder.

"How should _I_ know?" he replied.

A thunder arrow took out a monster that was about to take his head off, and he waved a thanks to Virion.

The archer might have been an arrogant flirt, but his boasts about his prowess with the bow were certainly founded if not even true.

He turned, slashing low to the ground while Chrom jumped over him and slashed higher.

Two more monsters became smoke.

The two men straightened, ready to continue fighting.

Daraen noticed a monster at the edge of his range with the Sky-Eyes, which he had finally managed to keep active for longer periods on his own.

There, at the limit of his view, another monster appeared. It was different from the others. Clearly stronger.

What little magic he could get from it, it was clearly connected to the rest.

"Chrom! Frederick! Sully!" he called, "I think I found the 'Chief' Ryoko mentioned!"

"About damn time!" Sully shouted, running a monster through.

"Where?" Chrom asked, blocking a sword.

Daraen danced around the man and killed the monster. "It's at the edge of my range, due East! It's much bigger, stronger, and has a hand ax!"

"I will go and scout it out." Frederick offered.

Daraen nodded. "Don't take risks! Just confirm its position and see if you can't draw it out into the open!"

"Right!"

"Sully, fall back closer to the fort!" the tactician ordered, "We need to take out as many as we can before Frederick returns!"

Sully barked an acknowledgment and resumed killing the monsters.

"Where the hell is Ryoko?!" he shouted in frustration.

.

Ryoko blocked the sword coming at her head holding her own sword with both hands, but her arms were trembling under the strain already.

She tried to push back, but the other's blade was inching closer to her throat.

The Dragon threw herself to the side, ducking under the sword and into her foe's guard.

The hooded man overbalanced.

Ryoko tried to take a pot shot with her magic, but the being moved out of the way too fast.

She grit her teeth in frustration. "Fuck this."

Even without being enhanced by releasing the first level of the seal, her natural Dragon strength and speed were incredible, and her training made it so that she could push past those limits.

However, this man was avoiding her attacks as if it were nothing!

Was this— was this the true potential of a Dragon? The ability to match, maybe even surpass, a god?

No matter, it didn't change her objective. She had to take out that damned rock, but she couldn't do that if the damned being didn't fucking get out of the way!

An idea shot through her mind at that moment.

A crazy, insane idea which had very little chance to work and which would put her slightly more at risk than before.

But a crazy idea which _might_ work was better than no plan at all.

She jumped back to avoid the counterattack.

The being was in her way, and wouldn't get out of it… but he _would_ get out of the way of her spells. And her spells would be able to damage the crystal-slash-rock-slash-whatever-it-was.

Oh, screw it all, she was calling that thing a rock and be done with it!

She cast a quick succession of three spells.

The being avoided them, then charged.

She sidestepped him and slashed halfheartedly.

The rock was hit trice, and the magic exploded, destabilizing.

The being blocked easily with his bare hand.

 _Correction_ , she thought. _His claw_.

" _ **I know you, Dragon.**_ " The man hissed, " _ **You're the one that interfered yesterday. What a waste of talent….**_ "

"And I'm not interested in recruitment speeches." Ryoko muttered darkly.

With a fast twist of her wrist, she avoided the man's attempt to grip the blade and slammed into him as hard as she could.

He staggered back, coughing lightly. " _ **W-Wha—!**_ "

She pushed him with all she had, still moving forward, and brought her knee up sharply.

The being roared in pain. " _ **Y-You BITCH!**_ "

No matter what species one was, getting hit in the balls was still painful.

Ryoko, taking full advantage of it, jumped away from him and ran towards the rock as fast as she could without accidentally triggering a Flash.

Now that she could take a few moments to examine it, she realized that the rock was some sort of Gem that was anchoring and strengthening the Hordes more than they should be.

She only now noticed that the being had pushed her away from it.

It didn't matter. She would make it.

The man roared in rage from behind her.

Through the Sky-Eyes, she could see that he was catching up to her.

She deactivated the skill and pushed herself harder.

Ryoko readied her sword for the attack against the rock. Halfway there.

Suddenly, the woman tripped.

She managed to break her fall and rolled back to her feet, but she was slowed down.

"Oh, fuck it all!" she swore.

The hooded man's blade was coming down on her.

She barely blocked it and tried to push back enough that she could move out of the way.

Even though it was a terrible idea, she pushed a little of her Element into her sword. The being was electrocuted as the Lightning obeyed her will, and the pressure on her arms eased minutely.

It would have to do.

Ryoko hastily pushed the sword away from her and rolled back to her feet.

Moments later, she jumped into the air to avoid being impaled by a mass of spikes, countering with a minor Fire spell, which was easily batted away.

She used gravity to increase the force of her next attack, but it was effortlessly blocked by the being.

The being took the opportunity to throw her aside, and Ryoko found herself on the ground again, though this time it was more painful than her first fall.

And, again, the being's blade came down on her.

She tried to move aside, but the pain slowed her down enough that she knew that unless she was extremely lucky, it would be futile.

Suddenly, the masked man from earlier burst out of the treeline and blocked the blade.

"Go! Quickly!" he shouted.

" _ **Y-You!**_ " the being hissed, clearly surprised.

"Thanks!" Ryoko shouted back as she got up.

"I believe your fight…" the man told his opponent as he pushed back the blade, "…is with _me_!"

The young Dragon didn't even have to think about it.

She started running once more, pushing her limit as much as she could and then some more.

The monsters in the way were quickly cut down by her blade, which was already charged with lightning and giving off a faint reddish glow.

And, just as she was about to reach her goal, she prepared her blade for an attack.

She tripped.

The sudden speed and the overcharged magic in the area triggered a minor Flash just as she recovered her momentum.

Ryoko roared a battle cry and buried her sword deep into the rock.

The extreme speeds of a Flash even that minor, barely a fraction of the speed of light it could reach when mastered, coupled with her already insane strength made a large crack appear on it.

She extracted her sword roughly, and, with another roar, slashed at the crack with all her strength she could muster.

The rock cracked again, and again, and again, each time with smaller cracks, and crumbled to dust, which disappeared into black smoke shortly after.

Ryoko panted in exhaustion, but a brief rush of power made her recover quickly.

She did it.

.

The hooded being roared angrily when it felt the rock it had personally placed being shattered beyond repair.

It had known that the group had an extra that shouldn't be there, and prepared accordingly to take them out and hopefully speed up its plans.

It had not been been prepared for the lightning arrow to hit its focus earlier, and it certainly hadn't expected the Dragon that had already disrupted its plans once to come and almost destroy it before the being could react.

It had managed to stop it and even push the meddling Dragon away, but her/his (what was with the conflicting scents!) sudden attack had staggered it long enough for the other Dragon to run towards the focus it made.

Fortunately, he(she?) tripped before reaching the focus and the being quickly caught up.

It was stopped from killing her(him?) by the other meddler, one that did not belong here at all.

The damned Dragon had taken this chance to take out the focus while it couldn't protect it as it was being distracted by the Masked One.

So when the focus has been destroyed, the being was angry that all its plans were going to smoke and it roared.

The Masked One, who had been matching it until this point even if barely, tripped backwards, and it quickly took the chance to finish him.

"Not on my watch!" the Dragon shouted, and with a loud crack she(or he) appeared near them.

She transformed her arms into the Dragon Maw form, shooting a powerful ball of lightning at the hooded being, and it fell backwards from the impact.

It hissed jealously, for that was one power it had lost and even with barely any magic available to him(her), the Dragon could use it without the Mask.

The Partial transformation then switched to two pairs of silver wings on her(his? Danmitall, this was so confusing!) back, and she(he?) grabbed the Masked One firmly, likely ready to jump into the air to escape.

The wind ruffled the being's hair (when had the hood fallen off?) as it advanced.

The Dragon hesitated one second when he(or was it she?) saw its face, so similar to that of one of the Dragon's pathetic comrades, only with red eyes and twisted with insanity, staring at her(him).

The being slashed at them, intending to finish off two annoyances with a single blow.

Before it could, a burst of smoke covered the area for a second, and when it dissolved there was a piece of paper in place of the Dragon and the Masked One.

The being noticed it a moment later and picked it up irritably.

On it there was a badly drawn figure with messy hair flipping the being off rudely and the writing 'See ya!' hastily scrawled below it.

The being roared in rage and destroyed the paper.

" _ **DAMN YOU!**_ "

.

" **Whoa, that was a close one!** " Ryoko's said, her voice distorted by both the wind and the Full Dragon form she was in.

"Tell me about it!" the masked man commented from her back, holding on with ease. "We almost died there!"

Ryoko let out a cheering laugh. " **Well, we're alive now. And the anchor is broken. Now we just have to take out the Horde.** "

"Easier said than done." The man said bitterly.

" **Almost everything is.** " Ryoko replied. " **Especially with my luck.** "

"Why? What's wrong with your luck?" the man asked confusedly.

The Dragon laughed. " **It's terrible!** "

They glided along in silence for a moment.

" **Are you ready to drop in?** " Ryoko asked.

She was certain that the masked man smirked. "Whenever you are."

" **Hold on to your panties!** " she cackled.

"W-What?!" she was certain that the masked man was blushing.

The green-eyed Dragon beat her wings once and dove towards the ground as smoothly as she could, slowing just before she reached the trees.

She was almost touching the ground when the masked man jumped down, sword drawn, and started killing monsters while Ryoko still headed towards the abandoned forts.

The Dragon let out a warning screech and started changing back to her human-like form.

She hit the ground running just as her wings disappeared, coming from behind the Chief of the local Horde and running it through.

Ryoko fell to the floor, panting, just as the monster burst into smoke.

She looked up to see Frederick, Chrom, Daraen and Sully looking at her sternly.

"I'm not late, am I?" she managed to say, resiting the urge to laugh madly.

"No, you made it just in time." Daraen reassured her with a smile.

"Awesome." She breathed out. "Now, if the world would quit spinning…."

Daraen helped Ryoko up, and the woman stumbled unsteadily to her feet.

"Where did you disappear to?" he asked.

The woman groaned. "Went to investigate weird magic. There was this man… he attacked me, I nearly died a few times trying to get to a damned rock that was keeping the monster Horde here. I would be dead if not for the masked man."

Daraen activated his Sky-Eyes. "It appears all the creatures are vanquished. That man probably took care of the others."

Ryoko nodded shakily.

The masked man came into view and nodded to Ryoko. "Are you alright?"

The woman grinned. "Yeah. Thanks for the help."

"You saved me as well." The man stated. "I'd say we're even."

"Fair enough." Ryoko said.

"Um, I never got to thank you… for before." Lissa told the man, "So… thank you. You were very brave."

Chrom smiled. "You saved my sister's life. My name is Chrom. Might I ask yours?"

"You may call me Marth." The masked man replied.

"Marth? After the heroic king of old?" the blue-haired swordsman commented, "You certainly fight like a hero. Where did you learn your way with a sword?"

"I'm not here to talk about me." The man said brusquely. "This world teeters at the brink of a horrible calamity. What you saw tonight was but a prelude. You have been warned."

Well, that was _rude_.

Without any further words, the man turned and left.

"Huh?" Lissa exclaimed, "What's teetering where now? Hey, wait!"

"Not much for conversation, is he?" Daraen commented.

"He's much better with a sword." Ryoko told him.

"It appears his skills lie elsewhere." Frederick said. "I wager we'll hear his name again…. But for now I'm more concerned about the capital. We should make haste."

Everyone agreed with that.

* * *

 **AN: And thus ends the game's first chapter. Next up will be the Save Screen and shopping around Ylisstol, so there will not be much action, if any.**

 **Mire and Ruin are Dark Magic tomes, and I thought it rather fitting for the mysterious being-slash-Daraen-lookalike, considering just _who_ he is. His coat is Robin's original coat form the game, while Daraen has a zigzag pattern on the sleeves only.**

 **The chant Ryoko uses to attempt to match her opponent is original and temporarily lets her tap directly into the Seal and Grima's power, hence why she initially refused. It would have left her vulnerable to possession like Daraen in the Premonition.**

 **Her sword... well, that'd be telling. It will be explained later, readers.**

 **As for Marth, you'll probably have an idea of what Ryoko told him in Unwelcome Change. And I dropped a little hint about his past in there as well.**

 **The being's section was probably the most fun to write, especially becasuse he's extremely confused at Ryoko's conflicting smell and kept second-guessing her gender every second. The paper she left, by the way, had a 'chibi' drawing of herself, not that he knows it. He hasn't gotten a good look at her face yet, and he won't for a _long_ time**

 **With that, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and don't forget to review on your way out! *makes puppy dog eyes***


	7. The Shepherds

**AN: Here's chapter 5.**

 **This chapter, and the next one as well, will not have any battles. They'll be the part after the Save Screen and a small look into everyone's day. And I do mean _everyone_. There will be small segments from the other characters' POV later.**

 **Beware, though, that it won't be all flowers and sparkles. There will be a couple of dark moments.**

 **Thanks to Liune and NerdLord2nd for following! And, of course, to everyone else for reading this story!**

 **As always, I do not own Fire Emblem. Enjoy, and please review!**

* * *

 _ **Fire Emblem: Dragon's Claw**_

 **~ Chapter 5 ~**

 **The Shepherds**

"So this is Ylisstol, capital of Ylisse…." Daraen commented in awe, "I've never seen so many people!"

"If you had, you wouldn't remember anyways." Ryoko teased lazily.

"Nobody asked you, midget brat!" Draraen snarled angrily.

Ryoko growled. "Do not. Call. Me. A. Midget. Ever."

Before the argument could devolve into senseless brawling, Sully wacked them both with her lance.

Ryoko pouted. "So mean…."

"Still, the capital is so beautiful!" she chirped happily, "I wonder if there's a Market Day soon."

Indeed, the city was a beautiful sight after the previous day's events.

The tall buildings were decorated with flower pots and drying clothes on the windows, the streets always wide enough to stop to the side to chat with someone and the people were clearly happy and comfortable living there.

Some people, children especially, waved at the group passing through the main road, which never failed to bring a faint smile to Ryoko's face. Lissa exuberantly waved back at all who did so, while Frederick was clearly more relaxed the further into the city they went.

"It appears the capital was spared the chaos we encountered, thank the gods." Frederick pointed out. "The quake must have been limited to the forest."

"Well, that's a relief!" Lissa said happily.

Ryoko hummed in agreement from where she was slumped on top of Frederick's horse. "That's good… it means that there won't be any large groups for a while…."

The green-eyed Dragon was still exhausted from the previous night's events and from her battle with the mysterious man, not to mention the spells she had cast before and after said battle and the large number of transformations she had used.

Reaching the limit of her abilities so often in a single night could not be healthy, and neither was being constantly magically exhausted for days now that she thought about it.

Before them the road opened into the huge marketplace, where hundreds of people were gathered, passing through, chatting and buying from the various stands.

In front of them towered the large castle, a building just as beautiful as the rest of the city from where one could see the people effortlessly from most of the windows and balconies and watch over them as a ruler ought to do. From the walls hung Ylisse's blue banner depicting the Divine Dragon, Naga.

"Look! The Exalt has come to see us!" an old man cried out happily.

Indeed, the ruler of Ylisse was walking through the streets escorted by some cavaliers and a stern-looking woman with graying hair who was clearly her bodyguard.

Ryoko struggled to sit up straighter to see the woman. "She's become a lot prettier…." She murmured.

The Exalt was a beautiful and tall young woman around Ryoko's age with long golden-blond hair framing her face delicately and beautiful blue eyes that almost seemed to glow with compassion. On her forehead was a symbol that was clearly identical to that on Chrom's shoulder, though smaller.

"The Exalt is your ruler, yes?" Daraen inquired, vaguely remembering Ryoko's words on the country he found himself in.

Frederick nodded, "Yes. Her name is Lady Emmeryn."

"Is it safe for her to walk among commoners like this?" the silver-haired tactician asked.

"The Exalt is a symbol of peace—Ylisse's most prized quality." The Great Knight explained, "Long ago, at the dawn of our age, the Fell Dragon tried to destroy the world. But the first Exalt joined forces with the Divine Dragon and laid the beast low. Exalt Emmeryn reminds us all of the peace we fought for then."

"She's also the best big sister anyone could ask for!" Lissa added.

"Yes, I imagine she…" Daraen agreed, but stopped abruptly when he realized what Lissa had said. "Wait, what? She's your… But wouldn't that make you and Chrom…"

"The prince and princess of the realm, yes." Frederick finished for him, laughing slightly. "Didn't Ryoko inform you of this?"

"I haven't been here for years!" Ryoko protested weakly, "'Sides, I only recognized the Brand when I saw it on Lady Emerina…."

"You said you were 'shepherds'!" Daraen exclaimed, surprised.

"And so we are… in a manner of speaking." Chrom told him, "We just have a LOT of sheep."

Daraen blushed deep red. "C-Chrom… I mean, Prince Chrom! Sire! Forgive my dreadful manners!"

Chrom laughed. "Just Chrom is fine. I've never been much for formalities."

The silver-haired tactician breathed a sigh of relief.

"The prince and the princess…." He said, smiling, "That explains why Frederick puts up with all the teasing, eh?"

"Indeed." The man replied with an amused smile. "The sacrifices I make for the good of the realm…."

"When I came here looking for a job," Ryoko commented with a laugh, "I never imagined I would find a stable one, let alone with the prince of Ylisse as my employer! I guess patience really _does_ pay off eventually!"

"I'd like to hear the story behind that one someday." Frederick told her.

Ryoko flashed a happy grin. "I'm open to swapping stories anytime!"

"It looks like Emm is returning to the palace." Chrom said, "Would you like to meet her?"

"Really?" Ryoko asked hopefully, "I wanted to, but then Father took me to Ferox, and then I was stuck in Valm, and I never got the chance to… and I'm rambling, aren't I?"

"Yes!" Chrom, Daraen, Lissa, Virion and Sully said at the same time.

"Well," Sully declared, "I'm going to bring Ruffles here to the barracks."

Ryoko waved lazily as the Cavalier dragged the archer away.

Chrom nodded his agreement and led the rest towards the Ylissean castle.

.

"Chrom! Lissa! Welcome home." Emmeryn greeted with a smile. "Oh, and good day, Frederick. How fared you all?"

Ryoko couldn't help but smile herself at the loving tone of voice the woman used. It was clear she loved her siblings with all her heart, and they her.

"Well—we shouldn't have any bandit problems for a while." Chrom said.

The woman's smile widened, "Wonderful. And our people?"

"Safe as they can be, Emm." He replied, then turned to the other woman. "But we still need to watch the borders. The brigands crossed over from Plegia."

"Forgive me, milord." The woman apologized, "My Pegasus Knights should have intercepted them."

"No, Phila. Your duty was here, with the Exalt." Chrom reassured her.

"And, besides, we had plenty of help!" Lissa added, gesturing to Ryoko and Daraen.

Emmeryn turned to look at them, "Ah, you speak of your new companion here?"

"This is Daraen, and Ryoko." Chrom introduced, gesturing first to the man and then to the Dragon.

Ryoko gave a small bow of her head and smiled.

"They both fought bravely against the brigands." The prince continued, "I've decided to make them both Shepherds."

"It sounds as though Ylisse owes you a debt of gratitude, Daraen, Ryoko." Emmeryn told them with a grateful smile.

"Not at all, milady." Daraen replied.

Ryoko inclined her head again. "I was just doing my job, Lady Emerina."

"Forgive me, Your Grace, but I must speak." Frederick said, "Daraen claims to have lost his memory, but it is only that: a claim. We cannot rule out the possibility that he is a brigand himself or even a Plegian spy."

"Frederick!" Chrom scolded his lieutenant with a glare.

"Yet you allowed him into the castle, Chrom." Emmeryn stated, "Does this man have your trust?"

"He fought to save Ylissean lives." Chrom replied firmly. "He and Ryoko both. That is more than enough for me."

"Well then, Daraen… Ryoko…." The Exalt said, turning to look at them, "It seems you've earned Chrom's faith, and as such you have mine as well."

Both of them curtsied. "Milady."

"But thank you, Frederick, for your prudence, as always." Emmeryn said, turning to the Great Knight, "Chrom and Lissa are blessed to have so tireless a guardian. I do hope they remember to mention that from time to time"

The man smiled slightly. "They do express something akin to gratitude from time to time, Your Grace." He turned to Emmeryn's bodyguard. "Phila, I assume you've heard about the deathly creatures we encountered, yes?"

The woman's stern look only darkened. "Yes, milord. They've been sighted all across Ylisse."

"Chrom, we are about to hold council." Emmeryn said. "I was hoping you could join us."

Chrom nodded. "Of course."

"Well, that's our cue, Daraen, Ryoko!" Lissa chirped, "C'mon, there's a place I want to show you."

Ryoko gave one last small bow in the direction of the Exalt before following Lissa out of the room.

.

"Here we are, the Shepherds' garrison!" Lissa said with a flourish as she led them inside. "Make yourselves at home."

Ryoko looked around.

The main room was spacious and homey, with a long table in the center and a number of chairs placed around it. On the table there were multiple pieces of paper and some books, not to mention a tome, a quill and an inkwell in a corner that had been left there haphazardly as if their owner had left in a hurry.

On the walls there were some weapons, either hanging from it or leaning against it, both sharp and of the dulled kind used for training.

There were already some people in the room, who had turned to Lissa's voice.

 _'I like this place.'_ Ryoko commented to Grima. _'It feels like home. It's been a long time since I've been in a place like this.'_

 _ **Yeah. Me too.**_ Grima agreed.

The first who caught the green-eyed Dragon's eye was a blond woman with her hair styled into thick drill curls with a pair of white bows to keep them out of her face and a parasol in her hands. She was wearing a simple white and pink riding outfit, and she gave off the air of being a noblewoman.

As soon as she saw Lissa, the woman charged at the princess and hugged her tightly. "Lissa, my treasure! Are you all right? I've been on pins and needles!"

"Oh, hey, Maribelle!" Lissa greeted happily. "How have you been?"

"'Oh, hey' yourself!" Maribelle said irritably, "I've grown fourteen gray hairs worrying over you!"

 _ **That sounds slightly obsessive….**_ Grima commented idly.

 _'Oh, hush, you.'_ Ryoko told him teasingly, though she couldn't help but agree with him.

"Aw, you worry too much." Lissa reassured her friend. "I can handle a battle or two! …Although I could do without the bugs and the bear barbecue…."

The last part was muttered with a slight glare to the blue-haired woman, who shrugged apologetically.

Honestly, it was not her fault the damned animal had jumped on her and Chrom from out of nowhere or that they were better off making it their next meal rather than search for other prey.

"Hey, squirt!" A man shouted. "Where's Chrom? I bet he had a rough time out there without ol' Teach and his trusty ax!"

The speaker was a rather loud, half-naked, brown-eyed blond who was wearing chains around his neck. And he apparently referred to himself in the third person, as well. That could not be healthy.

 _ **It isn't.**_ Grima quipped.

"Oh, so you're 'Teach' now, Vaike, is that it?" Lissa teased, giggling. "And here I thought people were just born lacking wits. It can be taught?"

Ryoko suppressed her snickering. This many people were already putting her on edge, and Grima's commenting and crackling in the background wasn't helping things.

"Ha! Never doubt the Vaike!" The loud blond boasted, "…Wait, was that an insult?"

 _ **Yes, it was.**_ Grima replied before cracking up again.

Ryoko slammed down her barriers to shut him up before she made a fool of herself.

A woman with light brown hair and chocolate brown eyes approached them. She was wearing a simple pink and purple riding dress, a pair of riding boots of the same color and silver armor on her chest, arms and shoulders.

On her hair, at the back of her head, there were a pair of pretty wing-shaped hairpins, identifying her as a Pegasus Knight.

"Beg pardon, but when might we see the captain?" the woman asked.

"Poor Sumia. She's simply been beside herself with concern…." Maribelle commented to Lissa, "Her eyes were scanning the horizon all day during training. She might have earned fewer bruises fighting blindfolded."

"Aw, Sumia, that's so sweet of you to worry about Chrom." Lissa told the brown-haired woman.

The Pegasus Knight blushed. "Worry? Well, I… He's our captain and our prince—of course I'd worry!"

The loud man, Vaike spoke up next, "So, who're the strangers?"

"No one is stranger than you, Vaike…." Lissa commented, but then turned serious, "But allow me to introduce our new recruits."

She turned to the silver-haired man, who up until then was too busy looking around to pay much attention.

"This is Daraen. Chrom made him our new tactician, and you should see all the tricks that he's got up his sleeves!" Lissa introduced.

She made to turn to Ryoko, but Vaike interrupted.

"Oh, yeah?" He challenged, "Can he do this, then?"

And the man proceeded to let out an extremely loud belch.

Ryoko grimaced. "That was disgusting."

Daraen was about to make a sarcastic remark, but thought better of it.

"Ugh, Vaike!" Maribelle scolded, "That was abhorrent! Must you baseborn oafs pollute even the air with your buffoonery?"

Ryoko and Daraen shared a look that said that they were in clear agreement with the woman. There were better times and places to initiate belching contests.

Namely, in bars were everyone was so drunk off their asses that nobody cared about propriety anymore.

"Really, Vaike?" Lissa said, disgusted. "That was… ugh!"

The princess shook her head. "Anyways, the short lady over here is Ryoko. Don't let her looks fool you, she's only a year and a half younger than Emm, _and_ a Dragon!"

The blond noblewoman's eyes widened in disbelief. "A Dragon, you say? Haven't they all disappeared thousands of years ago?"

"We went into hiding, for the most part, or chose to seal our powers into the Dragonstones to become Manaketes." Ryoko replied. "I tend not to advertise it too much, though, because then I get hunted down by Grimeal, especially those who want to free Grima and there's not many of us left."

Wait, why did she say that?

"What?!" Maribelle exclaimed, "but it should be impossible!"

Ryoko shook her head sorrowfully. "I'm afraid not. There is a manifestation of his Seal in this world. So one would be to kill the current Seal Holder, which would be me by the way, and he would be free, though I've been told there are other ways to do so."

The woman briefly tugged up the sleeve of her tunic, revealing the lower part of a Dragon's body on her arm.

"Wait, but wouldn't your job as a mercenary endanger the Seal?" Lissa asked.

"Then why not just go into hiding as well?" Maribelle inquired, irritated.

"The stronger I get, the better protected it is, Lisa." Ryoko replied, "And, about that, Lady Mariaberu, I should give some backstory first. The Seal was originally designed to be held by men, who are naturally stronger and can thus direct more energy into it. Men can also have more of a chance of having an heir available nearby, since the Seal passes over a direct line, and the Seal's signature is more suppressed. However, it still attracts those greedy for power.

"When Mother disappeared, I was six and learning of the arts of Summoning. I became the sole heir, and by then we had been attacked countless times. I had about seven years of education about the Seal, but Father and I were always on the move and I wasn't able to learn much before he was captured by bandits."

The woman took a deep breath, holding back the tears that came with that memory. "The Seal transfered to me two days later, when he was killed by Grimeal, and I hid as a mercenary's orphan son. Not too far from the truth, all things considered, but I still have no children. It's only recently I worked up the courage to return here after I fled. And if they find me…."

Ryoko hadn't even realized that she was shaking until Maribelle hugged her tentatively.

"Poor dear, you've had so much sorrow in your life…." The noblewoman said soothingly.

 _ **Oh, Skies, I was an idiot….**_ Grima whispered, horrified.

Ryoko choked back sobs and nodded slightly.

Why was she being so open? She didn't understand. She'd been reserved her entire life, telling a very select few about even her gender, let alone her story.

And yet, here she was, telling her best kept secrets to a bunch of strangers!

For some reason, she didn't feel as unsettled by this as she should. She felt like these people could be trusted.

Grima's mental touch was a reassurance and an apology all rolled into one, though she didn't understand what he was apologizing for.

"Gods, Ryoko…" Chrom's voice said, startling her out of her thoughts, "I had no idea…."

Ryoko shook herself and stood straight.

"I-Ish alright." She told him, "It's something I've learned to live with. I'm alright, now."

Was this what a home (a family) felt like?

"Ah! Captain!" Sumia exclaimed, running towards Chrom, "You've returned! I was— I mean, we were so—"

The Pegasus Knight tripped over nothing and faceplanted on the ground. She picked herself up as if it had happened many times already and blushed.

"Sumia! Are you all right?" Chrom asked, concerned despite the slightly amused look on his face, "…Those boots of yours again?"

"No! I mean, yes! I mean…" the woman sighed, clearly wishing to avoid making a fool of herself even more.

Chrom raised his voice. "All right, listen, everyone: in the morning, we'll be marching to Regna Ferox."

"Regna Ferox?" Daraen asked.

"A unified kingdom to Ylisse's north. Inhabited by barbarians, or so it's said." Sumia explained.

Ryoko nodded, elaborating, "They're all warriors at heart, and favor the blade over politics for the most part. It's really cold there, too, and they don't generally care about religions."

Chrom nodded. "Yes, and we'll need their strength to quell this new menace. Typically, the Exalt would request such aid in person. But given recent events… Well, the people might worry should my sister suddenly leave the capital. So the task has been passed to us.

"Now, this mission is strictly voluntary. So if, for any—"

"I volunteer!" Lissa interrupted.

"Me too!" Vaike shouted, "You'll be needin' ol' Teach along for such a delicate mission!"

"I'll go as well." A plain-looking man in a massive suit of armor said, causing Ryoko and Daraen to turn to him, "…What? I've been here the whole time!"

"I… I, um…" Sumia mumbled, hesitating.

"Yes, Sumia?" Chrom acknowledged her.

"It's just that… I'm not sure I'm quite ready for a proper mission just yet." The Pegasus Knight admitted, lowering her head. "I'd probably just get in the way."

"Well, you could stay behind the main group, and if a battle is met, just watch and learn?" Chrom proposed, "Your choice, of course. But some lessons can only be learned on the battlefield."

"W-well, if you think it wise, Captain." Sumia stuttered.

Chrom smiled softly, "Just stay by me and you'll be fine."

"Oh, yes!" She cried happily, then corrected herself. "I mean— Yes, sir, I'll do that!"

Ryoko smiled amusedly. It looked like the woman just needed some encouragement and confidence in herself. A lot of it.

"I'm coming!" she said, raising her hand briefly, "You might need a guide."

"And you'll certainly be needing your tactician!" Daraen chimed in.

She turned to the man in the massive suit of armor and approached him, following behind Daraen. It was then she noticed something.

"Oh, wow!" she exclaimed, surprised, "you have some sort of innate passive cloaking magic! That's so cool!"

"R-Really?" the man asked, caught off-guard. "I never noticed."

Ryoko cracked a grin. "It's a really rare talent. I only recognized it because I learned an active version of it, even if it's much weaker."

The man smiled. "I'm Kellam."

Ryoko grinned. "Nice to meetcha! Now, I'm going to buy myself a new sword, bye!"

With a wave of her hand, Ryoko faded from view and disappeared.

 _'Now, where's Virion?'_ Ryoko thought, _'It's about damn time I drag him shopping with me.'_

* * *

 **AN: Well, that's it for now. I might make an update sooner rather than later, but don't get your hopes up.**

 **Now, notes. Ryoko's reaction to the word 'midget'... she's twenty-four and looks twelve. I'd get pretty annoyed too if they constantly pointed out my lack of height. Actually, I _do_ get annoyed when they think I'm fourteen. I'm not. I'm among the oldest in my class.**

 **...Anyways, moving on, Ryoko's accent will be much more noticeable with Emmeryn and Maribelle's names, plus probably a few others. As for why nobody points it out... Ryoko always speaks with an accent, and it's only marked enough to write it when she's stressed or pronouncing unfamiliar words. That's my excuse, and I'm sticking to it.**

 **The tome, quill and inkwell are Miriel's, but she left in a hurry to research and forgot about them.**

 **About Grima's comments... he's bored. Horribly bored.**

 **Maribelle will not be as cold as in canon in her interactions with Daraen, nor will she be so with Ryoko. The first reason is because, quite obviously, Daraen did not piss Maribelle off with his sarcastic comment about the 'belching arts'. Secondly, Ryoko's mild mental breakdown when she _finally_ reveals her past to someone.**

 **Grima did not know about it because, at the time, Ryoko's father was the Seal, and he could not see the outside world. This means that he thought Ryoko had it easy and was just being a brat all the time.**

 **Finally, Kellam. Since I added in the Sky-Eyes thing and will be expanding on inherited skills concept, I thought this was a nice little quirk to give him and explain _how_ he's practically invisible to everyone but the player.**

 **Was it good? Or boring? Let me know!**


	8. Beginning a New Life

**AN: Here's the next chapter! As promised, it's a bit early. Usually I would have published it at the end of the week.**

 **Anything to say about this? Well, there's another two OCs mentioned. Like Ryoko, they're mine. I still don't own Fire Emblem, and I likely never will.**

 **I didn't manage to fit in _everyone_ , but most of the characters already introduced have a little corner here.**

 **Also, thanks to xihimagicianx for following this!**

 **Enjoy, and please review!**

* * *

 _ **Fire Emblem: Dragon's Claw**_

 **~ Chapter 6 ~**

 **Beginning a New Life**

Ryoko strolled through the streets of Ylisstol with a slow pace, wanting to see as much as she could before leaving the next day.

Besides her, Virion followed the woman's lead with a small smile as he watched the sights, which, for the archer, meant the other women.

"Do you think that perhaps one of the ladies may be interested in a night out with me, Lady Roy?" Virion asked.

Ryoko laughed, "In your dreams, Virion!"

The man pouted.

"Besides, you have your own lady friend waiting for your return at home."

The archer sighed at the reminder. "Ah, my beautiful Lady Iris! Truly a thing of beauty, a true match for me with the bow!"

Ryoko laughed at the man's dramatics. "Why don't you take this chance to buy her a little gift? So that she knows you still think of her."

Virion shook his head sadly. "Alas, I cannot even risk contacting her in fear that she is discovered. To buy her a gift would expose her to greater dangers than I can bear to think."

Ryoko sighed. "Shame…. She's such a wonderful woman."

Virion smiled. "That she is, my friend. That she is."

Ryoko smiled sadly, but then an idea came to her mind. "What if I were to write the letter as some sort of secret admirer? Would that work?"

Virion thought about it, realizing that nobody had really seen Ryoko's handwriting and assumed she wouldn't be able to write anything formal or legible.

"That may work." Virion said, "Come on, let us search for the perfect gift for my Lady Iris!"

Ryoko smiled at the man's enthusiasm. He truly did love his fiancee, even if he didn't show it openly for her protection.

The blue-haired Dragon nodded and led the man into the streets. "Follow me, 'Rion. I saw the perfect place to begin a few stands back."

The man happily followed Ryoko through the streets and into various jewelries, acting for all rights like an excitable little boy who wanted to buy a gift for his girlfriend and sought his older brother's advice.

The Dragon was also happily browsing among the swords on sale whenever she got the chance for something to use in case she couldn't use her other sword, as her own had broken down in the forest.

She spotted a very familiar redhead from the corner of her eye, and smirked.

"Come on, Virion, I want you to meet someone!" She said, dragging him off to the side with unusual cheer.

They entered a small tent with all kind of merchandise perfectly organized. A woman with red hair and an outrageous red Trickster outfit was at the counter, and gave them a welcoming smile.

"Welcome!" She greeted, "Are you looking for something in particular?"

Ryoko beamed back. "Hi, Ana! Have you got any good swords?"

"It's _Anna_ , dear." The woman corrected with a smile, "I take it you've already met some of my family?"

Ryoko nodded. "I run into you girls all the time, since I'm always moving."

Noticing Virion's utterly confused expression, Ryoko took pity on the man and decided to explain.

"This is Ana, also known as the Secret Seller. If you want to buy from any of her family, you better have money available, 'cause their prices are a bit high. Though to be fair, their stuff is more advanced, of better quality and holds enchantments more easily than most, so I'd say her prices are more than worth it."

The Secret Seller nodded. "That's right. We also have some already enchanted items, if you're interested."

Ryoko's eyes widened. "Really? I need a sword with high durability that can stand Dragon-level enchantments, but they're so rare!"

The other woman smirked. "I got just the thing. Hold on a moment, please!"

Anna left for the backroom.

After a beat, Virion said, "She certainly has an… interesting character."

Ryoko nodded. "Her family is a bit eccentric, but they're reliable if you can pay. They also guard the Outrealm Gates, to make sure no eldritch abomination tries to cross over."

"Ah." Virion said, clearly taken off guard.

Anna returned with a large two-handed sword, at least for Ryoko, with a golden crossguard with a red gem embedded on it and a black leather handle. The blade itself was wide, made of something that looked a lot like steel but was a darker gray, and had a clearly sharp edge.

Ryoko loved it on sight, and accepted the blade to test its weight.

"Not bad." She said. "It's definitively lighter than I expected, even if it will take a while to get used to it. How much?"

The question was asked warily.

"Two thousand gold." The merchant replied happily.

Ryoko narrowed her eyes. "That's a bit much even for a blade that can hold high-level enchantments."

"It either take it or leave it, dear!" The redhead said gleefully.

"Why does it have such a high price?" Ryoko asked. "I need to know if what I'm working with will pay off when in battle or not."

The woman smiled proudly. "This baby can hold up to six Dragon-level enchantments without the issue of rotating them out or renewing them constantly."

Ryoko whistled in appreciation. "Nice."

She pulled a money bag out of one of her pouches and took out the required gold.

She was more than happy with her new purchase,thanked Anna for it and left the tent, the new sword strapped to her back in its scabbard.

"I must say," Virion commented, "that was a high price for a sword."

"Are you kidding?" Ryoko asked incredulously, "I'm almost certain that I got a discount for it! Normally any sword I try to enchant can't hold a single one of the good stuff for longer than a few hours, and on this one they'll _stack_!"

"In that case," the archer amended, "I'd say that you almost got a bargain from what little I understand."

Ryoko nodded happily.

.

Once Ryoko and Virion finally parted ways, the blue-haired woman decided that it would be a good idea to have a look around the city and maybe find some good enchanting materials and herbs for her potions.

So the first thing she did was find the local apothecary— Herbs and Lotions —and browsed around in search of different items that she could make use of.

She had found out that, unfortunately, actively using the Dragon Forms reduced her response to the usual healing items. For example, while a Vulnerary would normally be able to heal a good number of cuts provided they were minor, Ryoko could use them as bruise salve at most.

While it did make her stronger overall and sped up her natural healing, she just found it too much of a hassle to be worth the issue of not being able to instantly heal herself, especially since she was crap at healing spells.

So she started experimenting and found out, after an uncountable number of explosions, that certain herbs just didn't agree with Dragons, while others that had only minor effects on humans were much more powerful.

Putting some Fyalda leaves in her shopping list, since they didn't cost too much, Ryoko glanced over the healing items.

"Do you need any help?" a voice asked.

Ryoko turned to face the speaker, an average-looking man with olive-colored hair, a cowlick, and simple green clothing. From his demeanor, she deduced that he either worked here or he was otherwise just well-versed with herbs and their effects.

"I wouldn't mind a professional opinion, to be honest." She replied bashfully. "I am not ashamed to admit that most of what I know of herbology came from exploded cooking implements."

The man raised an eyebrow.

Ryoko blushed. "I was young, and this skill I have boosts my regeneration at the expense of the effectiveness of potions on me when I use it… so I… experimented."

"This skill wouldn't happen to be transformation-related, would it?" the man asked, an air of amused exasperation in his voice.

"…Yeah, actually." Ryoko replied, taken off guard. "How'd you know?"

The man shrugged. "It's not the first time people with _that_ skill stumbled into my father's apothecary, and it won't be the last."

"Oh." Ryoko said. "Do you have anything decent already done?"

The man nodded. "I can point out some herbs you can use of you want."

The blue-haired Dragon smiled. "I'd like that, but I really doubt I have the time right now."

The man sighed. "Ah, well. It's a shame."

"Meh, it won't take us longer than a month, if that." Ryoko told him, "Ferox is not that far from here."

"A mercenary?" the man inquired conversationally, "Can't say I'm surprised. There's few professions that need healing potions to be on hand."

"Only part time, now." Ryoko replied. "I helped fend off bandits in Southtown and Prince Chrom offered me a more permanent job. I'll do stuff on the side so long as it doesn't conflict with it, though."

"Ah, so you're a Shepherd as well?" the man asked.

Ryoko hummed in confirmation. "My name's Ryoko, but I'm also known as the mercenary Roy."

"I've heard of you." The man told her with a smile. "What you do is admirable, helping villages like that. I'm Stahl, by the way."

Ryoko paid for the potions the man gave her and smiled. "Thanks for the help, Stahl. Nice meeting you."

The man returned the gesture, "Likewise. I look forward to working with you, Ryoko."

The woman placed her purchases in her pouch, nodded and left.

.

Ryoko headed towards the library in finding some decent reading material before she had to leave for the mission.

She hastily turned a corner and stopped abruptly, nearly avoiding bumping into someone.

The person was tall, with long, pale blond hair, a feminine face and simple white robes. Ryoko, however, wasn't fooled by the man's delicate appearance. He had gotten her out of quite a few tangles with the Grimeal early on.

"Oh, sorry Libra." Ryoko apologized. "Didn't see you."

The man was confused for a moment, then recognized her and smiled.

"I must apologize as well." He replied serenely, "I haven't been paying attention to my surroundings, it seems."

"'s alright." Ryoko mumbled. "Have you heard from your brother lately?"

The man shook his head. "Unfortunately not. I heard he's in Ferox at the moment."

"Well, I'm heading there in the morning." Ryoko told him, "I can bring along a letter for him, if you want."

The man nodded. "I would like that. But why are you leaving so early? You're rarely even awake at that time."

Ryoko blushed. "That's true. But the Prince said we leave in the morning, so…." She shrugged. "Not much I can do 'bout it."

Libra looked surprised. "So you joined the Shepherds?"

Ryoko nodded. "It was happy coincidence. I felt something, went back to the patrol paths to investigate and ran into Chrom, Lissa and Frederick. Then I helped save Southtown from bandits, got a permanent job offer, and the rest is history, as they say."

Libra smiled. "The gods must be finally smiling upon you then, young Roy."

Ryoko shook her head. "It was only a brief lucky break." She told him, "Somebody summoned a really dark Horde on us. I'm almost certain it's somehow linked to the recent weakening of the Seal."

"Those are indeed dire news." Libra commented. "It does not bode well."

"That it doesn't." Ryoko agreed, "At all. It gives me a bad feeling."

The priest nodded gravely. "Let us pray that it does not come to pass then."

Ryoko hummed lightly. "Onto less depressing matters, do you have anything you want me to pass on to Kynthelieg? I'll even give you a lower rate 'cause it's on the way. Mostly."

Libra shook his head. "Not at the moment. I have a letter in my chambers, though. I will bring it to you this evening."

Ryoko nodded. "I'll be at the library until sundown. Any later than that and I'm not doing the job. Bring whatever you want me to give him and the gold. Five for the letter, ten for a small item, and twenty for anything else that's not bigger than a violin case."

"I'll be there." Libra told her. "May Naga bless you."

"You as well, Libra." Ryoko replied, waving him goodbye before going on her way with a sigh.

.

The Ylissean Public Library was large, and Ryoko immediately fell in love with it. There were so many books, readily available to read so long as they were put back in their places once you were done with them.

It came as a surprise to many that the quiet and intimidating mercenary Roy, for all her absurd power and skill with a blade, barely trained more than ten hours each week if she could help it, preferring to spend the time holed up somewhere with a good book to read, the more complicated, the better.

Once you knew this fact, however, it wasn't surprising to see the green-eyed woman make a beeline for the magical theory section, or the science one when she felt like it.

In this instance, Ryoko went to the first shelf on nonfiction books she could find and grabbed a book with a title she wasn't familiar with before setting down on a table to read it in clear view, her Mage cloak and glasses on.

She opened the book to look at the index table when somebody cleared their throat behind her.

Ryoko turned to see a woman dressed in mage robes, with a mage's hat on her head, partly obscuring her face. She had short and straight dark red hair, brown eyes and wore a pair of simple oval glasses.

"Excuse me," the woman said, "have you perhaps happened to take a book titled 'Theory on Ancient Dragon Magics' from its shelf?"

The green-eyed Dragon raised an eyebrow at the other woman's clearly educated accent, but turned to the cover of the book she had taken to check.

"I guess I did." She replied sheepishly, "I just grabbed the first book I didn't recognize in the magical theory section. Those tend to have the most interesting subjects."

The woman nodded. "Yes, I observed the tendency of the more intellectually challenging tomes to be placed in this section of the library as well."

Ryoko would have been overwhelmed by the sheer amount of long and complicated words, had she not been reading them since she could get into the libraries of the towns she and her father passed through.

As it was she merely smiled. "Well, if you need it, I can just write down the title and read it later. I'm here just because it's been way too long since I've had the chance to read any new decent books."

The woman agreed, letting Ryoko write the book's title in her notebook before taking it for her own research.

With a sigh, Ryoko flipped through the notebook in search for some older notes on books that caught her interest, and decided to go have a look around for them.

There was nothing that was on her list, but she did find another interesting book on Natural Magic, so she returned to the table.

This time, there was a young brunette mage with light brown eyes pouring over a wind tome.

"Mind if I sit here?" Ryoko asked, pointing to the seat next to him.

The boy was startled, but managed not to make a scene. "N-Not at all."

Ryoko smiled, glancing at the tome the boy was reading.

"Is that Elwind?" she asked, curious, "Aren't you a bit young for that kind of advanced magic?"

"I'm sixteen!" the boy exclaimed quietly. "And I could say the same to you."

Ryoko's eyes widened. "Sorry. I know what it's like. I'm twenty-three, and look half my age. It's really hard to be taken seriously."

"Yeah." The teenager agreed sullenly. "Everyone treats me like a kid all the time."

The green-eyed woman nodded sourly. "Me too. Very few people treat me like a mature person unless they saw me in battle. I know that being underestimated has its advantages, but, damn it all, it's annoying."

The brunette nodded. "Are you just passing through?"

The woman shrugged. "I'm leaving tomorrow with a few of the Shepherds, but the job offer _was_ permanent, if that's what you're asking."

The teenager's eyes widened. "Oh, so you're one of the new recruits, then?"

She nodded, deciding to introduce herself at least semi-formally to her new colleague. "I'm Ryoko, a Lighting Dragon from the Ravenfall clan. Or Roy. I go by that when people assume I'm a boy."

"My name is Ricken Dahmer." The brunette introduced himself. "Nice to meet you."

Ryoko smiled and turned looked at the boy's tome. "If you're stuck, I could give you some pointers, if you want."

Ricken's extremely happy expression was all the answer Ryoko needed to put aside the book she had intended on reading in favor of helping the young Shepherd master his wind magic.

.

Virion sat in one of the chairs at the garrison, staring at a piece of paper.

"What would I even write?" he asked himself with a sigh. "It's been so long by now…."

"What are you muttering about, Ruffles?" Sully asked the man.

He yelped in fright, turning to the female Cavalier.

He sighed again. "I am attempting to pen a letter to a… friend of mine. However, I cannot seem to find my words."

"Just write whatever the hell comes to mind, then." The woman suggested bluntly.

Virion couldn't help but laugh.

"What?" Sully snapped irritably. "Is something funny? I would love to remind you of—"

"No, no." The blue-haired archer attempted to placate her, "It's just that Lady Roy said the exact same thing. Of course, she added a few insults, but that's how she is."

"And who would this 'Lady Roy' be?" the redhead Cavalier asked. "Someone you succeeded in swaying into marrying you?"

"Skies, _NO_!" Virion shouted, his expression saying that the mere thought of it horrified him, "I would never!"

He calmed himself. "Lady Roy… that was her old name, when she— and I as well —was merely a child. I thought her a boy for many years, but she did never reveal her name, so I called her the Lady Roy." He smiled fondly. "Me, Iris and Roy were known as the Archer Three because we were constantly competing… such good times."

Virion's expression darkened, and the man sighed. "And then… war came. My Lady Iris was captured, but managed to set herself up as a spy. Roy left, to lead the enemy away in their attempts to recruit her. And I…." He chuckled bitterly. "Lady Sully, I was forced to flee like a coward. I had to escape the home when the greedy nobles all but sold me to the enemy.

"Until yesterday, I believed to have lost everyone I'd ever cared about. Then Ryoko— Roy —came."

The Archer sighed, then shook himself and stood up. "Ah, forgive me for boring you with my old tales, Lady Sully! But my thanks for listening anyways."

With that, he was gone, leaving behind a very stunned Sully.

She wondered what in hell had just happened. Virion, the unshakable flirt, having a conversation with her without proposing or flirting? Was the sky falling?

And yet, the world kept going.

Maybe, just maybe, the careless, overly proud, womanizing man that she though he was had merely been just a fraction of his true self, hidden like his past.

He had just told her a small piece, a hint, in a moment of desperation for someone to _listen_.

Sully realized that the man had been alone for a long time, and it was getting to him. And that maybe there was more to him than being an annoyance who bragged about being able to shoot other annoyances with perfect accuracy and then do it.

With this in mind, she decided that she wouldn't mind considering a comrade. However, she would still kick him should he flirt with her again.

.

The other girls had gathered in their favored spot for tea, gossip and catching up.

However, neither of them could focus much in the conversation.

Not only were they worried about Ryoko after her breakdown, but the troubling news of the monsters that had appeared in many parts of their country, attacking people, and the ones that had nearly ended Lissa and the others was not something to have on one's mind for tea.

Maribelle sighed. "It appears that for every piece of cheerful news that we share, a worrying one is quick to overshadow it lately."

Sumia sighed. "Too true."

"Yes." A redhead Pegasus Knight agreed, "First the bandits, now this. It's a matter of time before something else happens."

"Please don't say such things, Cordelia." Lissa chided. "We don't need more on our plates."

The redhead, Cordelia, nodded. "It doesn't make it any less troubling."

"I have to agree with Cordelia, no matter how blunt she is." Maribelle said, "Weren't you caught in that ruckus in the forest?"

Lissa shuddered. "Y-Yeah. It was terrible. If it wasn't for Ryoko and Marth…. I don't think I'd be here if not for them."

"Marth?" Sumia asked, "Isn't that…?"

"That's what Chrom said." Lissa confirmed, "The Hero-King's name. He looked exactly like the portraits, but with a butterfly mask. He saved me from one of those _things_."

"Exactly like the portraits?" Maribelle inquired. "Could it be that he was an Einherjar?"

"The Spirit Talismans?" Cordelia said, confused. "I doubt one could go Stray long enough."

Lissa hummed in agreement. "Before she passed out, Ryoko said that Marth has fought that Horde before. And that the Gate can only bring to other worlds or times, whatever it means."

"Well," Cordelia declared as she set down her teacup, "my admittedly short break is almost over. I better get going before the Wing-Commander has my hide."

The other girls chuckled a little at that— the woman was infamous for her strictness —and bid goodbye to the redhead.

.

The being hid in the shadows as it plotted.

There was so much to be done, the interlopers that had come to interfere with the rightful flow of events needed to be destroyed, but it had to keep hidden from them as well.

And, if their leader could hold it off enough that the other unknown managed to destroy its focus completely… it could not risk another, who was not clouded by emotions as the Masked One had been, injuring it.

It hissed quietly.

The being had not realized it until now, but the Dragon had been strong.

It had heard of Dragons praying to the Protector, and gaining strength from him if favored, but it had believed it a mere myth.

It had never expected it to work, nor for it to be used so effectively against it.

It needed to plan more carefully.

It could not afford for the rightful course of history to be derailed.

.

Daraen hissed as a sudden headache hit him, but ignored it.

Instead, he browsed the shops for a new blade and tome.

He'd seen Ryoko a couple times jump from shop to shop with Virion in tow, and later he noticed them go their separate ways, the Archer looking slightly more cheerful than before.

It appeared that, whatever his profession had been before Ryoko found him in that field, and then Chrom found _them_ , he knew his own weapons of choice.

Finding a Thunder tome that was to his satisfaction had was chore and a half, especially since there were plenty of amateurs who could not make a tome that could let him change the power he poured into the spell without wasting another page.

He finally found what he was looking for by the end of the day, and bought himself a Wind tome as well with the money he had found in his pockets.

The four hundred Gold that Chrom had given him to buy supplies was spent efficiently to get himself a tent, some bedding, food and healing potions.

The rest had gone into an expanded pack that could contain twice of what a normal one could.

At the edge of his vision, he thought he saw Ryoko chatting with a blond woman while heading for the outskirts of the city, but he shrugged it off.

It was her business, not his.

* * *

 **AN: ... and it's done!**

 **I swear, this chapter took on a life of its own. Originally, it was around three thousand words beween this and last chapter, and now I ended up with two huge interlude chapters. Half of the scenes were not even there in the original!**

 **...Ahem. Well, Iris, if it was not clear enough, is the OC, and Virion's fiancee. More will be revealed later on, but I may still kill her off so that Virion can marry someone else. We'll see.**

 **As for Anna... she (and her many, many sisters) appears _everywhere_. Ryoko met her a few times, started buying stuff from her because she sells rare weapons, and discovered that she 'overcharges' because the weapons are either extremely rare, absurdly overpowered, or can hold and channel magic better.**

 **Ricken, Libra, Stahl, Miriel and Cordelia get introduced early. I had to make up a family name for Ricken to make the introduction work, but that's it.**

 **Kynthelieg is the other OC. He'll be mentioned in passing, maybe participate in that one battle with Libra, but nothing much. His relationship with Libra will be just that of calling one another brother and sending letters.**

 **And yes, Ryoko is short, a closet bibliophile and wears glasses when she remembers to.**

 **The bit about the Einherjar in the girl's gossip session is just a but of folklore I added. I mean, there's no way that people can go around summoning ancient heroes without rumors and tales popping up.**

 **More foreshadowing with the mysterious being! Who could the 'interlopers' be? What's he/it planning?**

 **I have no idea about the second one, honestly. It won't happen for a while, and it's being added as I edit...**

 **Finally, quick question.** Since I've introduced enough characters to ask this, do you have any suggestions for pairings?  
 **I have, of course, some ideas and one fixed pairing(Ryoko's), but I'd love to get your opinion.**


	9. The Road North

**AN: Here's a new chapter!**

 **This is the regular weekend update, instead of last chapter's early update. I just wanted to get the interludes over with quickly so I could get back to the action.**

 **Like this one! The chapter title '** **The Road North' is a nod to the battle's location (Northroad), and also because the Shepherds are traveling to Ferox for the entire chapter.**

 **As usual, I don't own Fire Emblem.**

 **Enjoy, and don't forget to review!**

* * *

 _ **Fire Emblem: Dragon's Claw**_

 **~ Chapter 7 ~**

 **The Road North**

It was early the next morning when Ryoko and Daraen found themselves ready to leave for an extended trip to Regna Ferox for their first mission as Shepherds.

They were just finishing up checking their supplies, though a mostly asleep Ryoko did so only halfheartedly, preferring to fuss over her new horse, who had a similar attitude to mornings as the rather short Dragon.

"Is everyone ready?" Chrom asked, "We've got a long march ahead."

Ryoko yawned. "Are you ready, Kamui?" she asked the horse, who snorted. "Yeah, I thought so, too."

Daraen looked at Ryoko worriedly. Was she always like this in the mornings?

"W-Wait for me!" Someone shouted.

The man rode towards them on his horse, slowing down once he caught up.

"Stahl?" Chrom asked, surprised.

"Why am I the last to hear about this expedition to Ferox?" Stahl said, clearly irritated.

"Huh? Vaike was supposed to…" Lissa begun confusedly. She stopped and glared at the blond Fighter. "Vaike! Did you forget to tell Stahl about our mission?"

"The Vaike never forgets!" The man in question protested. "…I just don't always remember, is all…."

"It's the same thing." Ryoko muttered darkly.

"Ugh… I swear, you'd forget your own name if you weren't constantly saying it yourself!" Lissa scolded in exasperation. "Speaking of which, are you _sure_ you remembered your ax this time?"

"Hey! That was one time!" Vaike tried to defend himself.

Judging from the glares he was getting, he wasn't being very successful.

"Okay, twice, but training sessions don't count." He amended. "Anyway, I got it right here. Teach is loaded and ready for action! Glad to have you along, Stahl, ol' buddy."

"That makes one of us." Stahl ranted. "If Ryoko hadn't made that comment about going to Ferox, I wouldn't have even known! I was in such a hurry, I had to miss breakfast! There were muffins, and cakes, and…. Well, I can tell you all about it while we march…."

Chrom nodded, and they started heading North towards the warrior realm.

Ryoko mounted on Kamui expertly and waited until Daraen climbed behind her to have the horse move forwards along with Stahl.

"Your name is Stahl, right?" Daraen asked.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Daraen, Ryoko." Chrom said. "This is Stahl, one of our finest."

Ryoko yawned again and appeared to doze off.

Daraen didn't pay her any mind. So long as they didn't fall off, he could care less about what she was doing, really.

"Hello, Daraen, Ryoko." Stahl greeted. "Miriel told me we had a pair of new Shepherds."

He received a blank stare from both of the new recruits, revealing that Ryoko was not as unaware as she appeared to be.

"Er, Miriel's one of our mages." Stahl clarified. "She should catch up soon."

.

The Shepherds had managed to make good time on their journey. Their first two days on the road had seen them already halfway to the border, though they still had at least three more days of travel before they even reached the Longfort.

It was not too bad considering that, alone, Ryoko would have managed it in a day and a half. Even less if she flew.

But since she wasn't traveling alone, and she had no idea of how to start a conversation, the woman was absolutely and utterly _bored_.

In the end she had decided to give in to insanity and try to strike up a conversation with Grima, which was telling of just how desperate she had been for entertainment.

She had more or less spent the whole journey in a partially-aware state, ignoring most of the real world in favor of a rather heated discussion with the voice in her head about the merits of dark magic used by people with Shadowgift over that used by trained dark mages and sorcerers.

Which had somehow degenerated in wild speculation on different very creative and very gruesome methods of dealing with the strange monster-Summon Horde that nearly killed them all two days ago.

"Gods, have the Risen spread this far?" Chrom exclaimed, bringing Ryoko back to full awareness.

The green-eyed Dragon extended her senses and activated her Sky-Eyes to see what was ahead.

Chrom and Frederick were up front with Lissa. Stahl was slightly behind them with Vaike. Oh, Sully and Virion had come as well. Shame, she had missed _some_ entertainment. Which seeing Sully kick Virion's ass definitively counted as.

She also easily managed to pick up Kellam's faint signature and a mage's aura in the distance following them, which she assumed to be 'Miriel'.

In front of them, however, was something much, _much_ worse.

A group of the undead Horde Summons.

She stopped Kamui besides Chrom and Frederick.

"Risen?" Daraen asked, confused.

"We needed a name for this new threat, so the council gave them one." Frederick said as a way of explanation.

"Makes sense." Ryoko agreed.

 _'"Risen Hordes"… it's self-explaining enough that it should make dealing with telling people simpler.'_ Ryoko commented to Grima.

 _ **At least these are not as strong as the ones**_ **we** _ **fought.**_ He grouched.

 _'Or the guy leading them.'_ Ryoko added with a shudder.

"Everyone, remember what we're up against!" Chrom warned.

Vaike scoffed loudly. "They'll remember _me_ once I drive my ax up their-" the man interrupted himself, realizing he was missing something, "Wait… My ax. Where's my ax?! I had it a second ago!"

"Vaike, this is no time for jokes…." The prince all but growled.

"I'm serious!" Vaike protested, looking around for his weapon. "It's gone, but I _just_ had it! It's got to be around here _somewhere_ …."

"Then stay in the rear!" Ryoko snapped, "They're coming!"

"All right, listen up." Frederick said, glaring at Vaike in particular, "…Especially those of you who actually _brought_ weapons! All weapons have strengths and weaknesses to bear in mind unless you master them. Lances have an advantage over swords, for example, while swords best axes. We'll want to work this into our strategy whenever possible."

Daraen nodded. "Yes. Especially in a battle with foes much stronger than us, it will give us significant advantage to account for the Weapon Triangle."

Ryoko spoke up next. "Alright, listen up! These things— the Risen Hordes —are much stronger than normal people. If you value your weapons, do not block unless it's strictly necessary or your weapon has been enchanted to have extremely high durability.

"Also, Summons like these have a set amount of health, or HP, which will keep them in this world until it's completely depleted. Do not turn your back to them unless they start turning into smoke!"

"The only way we know to take them out is to rout the main group." Daraen continued, "Which is the one with the 'Risen Chief'. Taking it out will severely weaken of not outright destroy them all."

There were a few seconds of silence during which Daraen thought of a plan.

"Vaike will stay back until either he finds his ax or we kill the Risen." Daraen said. "Sully, Stahl, Frederick, you three will use hit-and-run tactics to herd small groups of Risen into range, and pick them off if you can. Lissa, you stay back and be ready in case your expertise in healing magic is needed."

He turned to Virion. "Virion, can you shoot from a horse?"

The archer shook his head. "I'm afraid that it's not my forte, but I can manage well enough."

Daraen nodded, "Then you'll take Kamui and go around the battlefield to hit from where it's safe and, if Lissa is needed and we're too far, bring her to us. Me and Ryoko will alternate between staying at a distance to hit with magic and pairing up with Chrom. Sumia, since you're unsure of your skill, you'll be guarding the convoy and making sure Vaike doesn't do something monumentally stupid like charging in without his ax."

"What about me?" Kellam asked.

Daraen glanced at Lissa and Sumia.

Fortunately, the Knight seemed to catch the unspoken order, and stuck close to the girls, especially Lissa, in order to defend them in case some Risen managed to get past them.

Everyone got into their positions.

Ryoko and Daraen had tossed a gold coin to decide who went with Chrom first, and Ryoko ended up won that particular coin toss.

Sully and Stahl were already baiting a small group of Risen, running through a couple of them and then darting out of range closer and closer to the three warriors and an archer waiting for them.

Frederick had opted to sneak behind the group and cut them off, forcing the Risen to go closer to the group or be killed.

Ryoko glanced at Chrom.

They had yet to shift into a battle stance, though their swords were drawn and Ryoko had already begun to channel her magic through the blade to strengthen her attacks.

.

Not far from the Shepherds, a woman in Mage's robes stopped for a second to push up her glasses, causing the sunlight to glint ominously off the lenses.

"Splendid! It seems I've caught up." The woman exclaimed, "Now to extirpate these brutes…."

She readied her tome and walked towards the fighting Shepherds, noticing something on the grass.

She walked closer to the object to examine it.

"Hmm? Is that an ax? Why yes it is…. Perhaps someone mislaid it? I'd not thought such dereliction permissible among the Shepherds. Still, I'd be remiss to not return this implement to its owner. Perhaps along with a stern word or two of disapprobation!"

With a self-satisfied huff, the woman headed towards the convoy, the heavy ax in hand.

It wasn't long until she reached it, and she was greeted by Vaike.

"Whoa! My ax!" the man shouted, all but snatching the weapon out of the woman's hand.

"I wondered what manner of ignoramus fool would mislay their weapon." The woman commented. "Now I know."

"Thanks, Miriel!" Vaike exclaimed. He then realized she was insulting him and added, "…Er, for the ax, anyway."

"Perhaps next time I'll use a spell to fasten it to you hands… permanently." The woman muttered irritably.

She abhorred when people were disorganized!

.

Ryoko, Chrom decided, was absolutely terrifying in battle if she knew her sword wouldn't break.

Or if she was annoyed enough to actually bother using her full strength, as she was with the Risen.

The Ylissean price was giving the blue-haired woman who would have easily passed for a younger sibling of his if not for her green eyes and the fact that she was entirely too mature to be twelve a wide breath of space when it was her turn to be paired up with him instead of flinging spells.

Though right now, the woman's eyes were flickering between blue or purple and her normal green, suggesting that she was using her Sky-Eyes to keep watch over the closest enemies.

Chrom easily blocked a Risen's sword, and the monster was ran through by Ryoko's own electrified blade.

The pair stood side by side, ready for the next wave.

Sully and Stahl rode towards them at a somewhat slow pace for them, the two cavaliers followed by a small group of Risen.

Ryoko smirked, electricity already gathering at her fingertips.

"Can you not use any other element?" Chrom asked curiously, "I don't think I've seen you use anything other than Thunder magic."

"You wouldn't unless I wanted to show off." The Dragon replied conversationally, "Thunder is my best and main element, followed by Dark because of an inherited Shadowgift, but I don't like how unreliable it is unless you sacrifice or train your ass off for it."

The two cavaliers suddenly changed directions, speeding up to circle behind the group.

Ryoko took the chance to release a powerful bolt of thunder that looked remarkably like Thoron.

Chrom charged forward soon after, followed closely by the green-eyed woman.

He took out a Risen with an arrow buried in its head and let Ryoko vault over him as he turned to slash at the legs of another one coming from behind them and then finish it off with a quick strike.

Ryoko, on the other hand, was fending off three Risen at once, her skin now a silvery gray and dotted with black scales.

She was holding back two swords with her own, while her left arm was transformed and blocking an ax.

Chrom avoided a lance from a Risen Soldier.

Ryoko's left arm snapped down and threw the ax to the side.

He used Falchion to snap the spear in two.

She twisted back suddenly.

He charged the Risen.

She roared and destroyed the weaponless Risen, passing through its smoke to reach the other two.

His sword buried in the Risen's chest. It disappeared.

The other two were now being pushed back slowly by the annoyed Dragon.

"Switch!" they heard Daraen call.

"Right!" Ryoko replied, running one of her opponents through.

The woman dutifully returned to Chrom's side.

"What's with the gray skin?" the prince asked, parrying a sword.

Ryoko shrugged. "It's a Dragon skill, really rare and costly."

A Risen got its sword arm thorn off, and was quickly taken care of.

"It halves most damage and helps negate sudden attacks." She continued.

Daraen took out another Risen from behind while it was busy with Chrom.

Ryoko waved happily. "How's progress going?"

The tactician's Sky-Eyes flashed active, and the man smiled.

"We're almost done." He declared. "This area is mostly cleared, and Virion is taking care of the rest with Frederick."

"Let's take these guys on as a group, then." Chrom suggested. "We'll be done faster and then move on to the bridge."

The two new recruits took out a Risen each and saluted with a teasing smile on their face. "Yes, sir!"

The three warriors made short work of the Risen once they started working together and went back to the convoy.

.

As soon as they were done, Ryoko all but dropped to the ground panting while her skin and arm returned to normal.

She would have, too, if Chrom hadn't caught her in time.

Daraen, who wasn't as tired as the prince, helped the woman stay upright a moment later.

"Are you alright, Ryoko?" he asked worriedly.

The green-eyed Dragon nodded. "Y-Yeah. I might have overused Dragonskin a bit, though. Leave me to the back lines for a while, I'll need to recover before pairing up with Chrom again this fight."

Daraen grimaced. "I don't like this. We'll need more fighters than mages when we'll get closer to the Chief of the Horde, and you still haven't recovered completely."

"Sorry." Ryoko apologized. "I was caught in a bad spot and had to use it to deal with it without a major injury."

"Which means she was fighting four Risen at once and one of them neatly killed her while she killed one of them." Chrom teased.

Ryoko blushed. "It's not my fault those things seem to aim for leaders and more vulnerable!"

"You, vulnerable?" Daraen asked in disbelief. "Since when?"

"Er, childhood?" Ryoko teased. "And I guess they see me as a Summoner or something, and they generally are not too good with anything _other_ than Summoning, so…."

"Nevermind." Daraen muttered.

They signaled the convoy that it was safe to move forwards a little, and waited for everyone to reunite.

.

Ryoko yawned tiredly as the group waited for the convoy to catch up.

She really had overdone it a little by using Dragonskin without activating the Dragon Mask as well, but there was nothing she could do about it now except lay off the more powerful spells for a while and just overpower weaker ones instead.

Considering the level of damage she could do with just twisting the basic Thunder around, it wasn't much of a problem so long as she actually stuck to the basic spell rather than try her luck with something with a bit more kick to it.

The blue-haired woman sighed to herself. She really wasn't looking forward to seeing Flavia again so soon, but she couldn't help it.

 _ **Hey, isn't that the Mage from the library?**_ Grima asked curiously.

Ryoko resisted the urge to fry something with her thunder and instead turned her attention to the Mage who was coming with the convoy.

She assumed that the woman was the one Stahl mentioned earlier in the morning, Miriel or something.

Looking closely, she confirmed that yes, the woman was the same one who had taken the most interesting book she had seen in months.

 _'It appears so.'_ Ryoko replied. _'Now I'm glad that most people don't seem to recognize me with glasses.'_

 _ **Afraid she might bombard you with questions?**_ Grima laughed.

 _'Just for that, I'm throwing you in partial control and letting you speak if she_ does _decide to interrogate me.'_ Ryoko grumbled in her mind.

The fearful squeak and sudden silence coming from the other side of the connection felt very satisfying to the blue-haired woman.

"Well, let's get moving!" Daraen shouted. "Miriel, you'll be with Ryoko taking out stragglers and anything else you can. Vaike, you're with me and Chrom. Ryoko, I'll be needing your blade when we face off against the Horde's Chief."

"So long as there are not too many of them, I have no problems joining in personally." Ryoko told him.

"Even better." The silver-haired tactician said.

Everyone split up to resume the battle.

"Right," Ryoko said, turning to Miriel. "What's your element?"

The woman pushed up her glasses. "I'm afraid I do not understand what you are attempting to inquire."

Ryoko already felt an headache coming up. "What element do you favor? Or have on hand, really."

"I prefer Fire tomes." The Miriel replied. "Is there a specific reason for your inquiry?"

Okay, Fire and Thunder elements combined. That one was always a challenge, if only because there was very little that easily and obviously connected the two.

Fire and Wind were the easiest ones, as the Wind aspect fed the Fire to make a truly devastating amount of damage if not properly controlled.

Wind and Thunder required some amount of coordination to push the air currents and enemies to the best position to make the most damage, and worked best against large numbers of armored units if they got bunched up together.

Thunder and Fire combinations were much harder and much more devastating.

The Dying Blaze spell was a bastardized form of it, now that she thought about it.

"We'd be better off finding a higher positioning to cast from, then." Ryoko replied absently. "I should be able to use Wind to strengthen your Fire so that we take out more enemies at the same time."

Miriel had a thoughtful expression on her face. "Are you perhaps referring to the Unison branch of spells?"

Ryoko nodded. "They're useful for weaker mages, so they can do more damage by combining their spells. And since I can't use anything stronger than D-rank spells right now…."

For the rest of the battle, Ryoko, Virion and Miriel took pot shots at enemies from any elevated position that was safe enough, even if by the end of it all the green-eyed Dragon had reclaimed Kamui and charged in the middle of the Horde towards the Chief, flinging all kind of weak spells left and right and generally causing more of a mess than strictly needed.

On the other hand, however, she had managed to get Lissa to a wounded Chrom and Daraen in time, so the woman's decisively insane actions were more than justified.

While Lissa healed the two men and the three mounted knights fended off Risen, Ryoko turned to Vaike.

"Guard her until she's done, will 'ya?" She told the man.

Before he had any chance to reply, Ryoko jumped at the Risen Chief, her new sword drawn.

The Risen moved out of the way before she could skewer it and counterattacked.

Ryoko ducked under the heavy swing and tripped her opponent.

It merely staggered back.

She slashed at it with all she had, leaving a large gash in its chest that would have killed most people in minutes.

As it was, the Risen merely roared in rage and chucked its ax at her.

The woman barely had any time to position her sword in a way that she could divert the incoming projectile since she still had her back to Lissa and the others.

She managed to hit the ax, but she was slightly off on her angle and the blade buried itself in her leg.

She took it out quickly, already having taken a herb from her pouches and begun chewing on it.

Hopefully the numbing effect would help her out.

She jumped back, mindful of her injured limb and launched a quick and slightly overpowered Wind spell in hopes of winning some time for someone to help her.

A powerful Fire spell followed her hit and enveloped the Chief.

"Thanks, Miriel!" Ryoko shouted.

A second blade of wind was already forming in the Dragon's palm, and was then directed into the sword.

The Risen, while still on fire, was charging at her.

Ryoko twisted on the spot, jumping backwards even as she slashed at the Risen Chief's neck.

The green-eyed woman fell to the ground painfully, her world spinning.

She was very glad to see the Risen burst into black smoke.

"Did you _have_ to keep on fighting with _that_ on your leg?" Lissa scolded irritably, "And taking out the ax like that only made it worse!"

Ryoko cringed, still chewing on the painkiller herb. "Shorry. Kept you shafe, at leasht."

Lissa raised an eyebrow.

The woman paused on her chewing and held the herb in her hand.

"Phantom Silkweed." She stated. "I can't use normal medicine since I'm a Dragon, and that's the most effective painkiller I've found that actually works longer than half a minute."

The blond cleric let out an exasperated sigh when Ryoko resumed chewing on the poisonous herb like it was nothing and patiently waited either for Lissa to heal her or for the natural healing to kick in on its own.

The princess raised her staff and focused on the wound. " **Heal.** "

The gash in Ryoko's hand closed swiftly, and as the spell started losing power, there was a small burst of magic and lightning on the wound, which finished closing on its own.

Noticing everyone was staring at her, Ryoko shrugged.

"I may be crap at initiating healing spells, but I sure as hell know how to strengthen their effects on me."

.

They had settled down for the night not long after, deciding that it would be wiser to brave the harsh Feroxi weather while they were fully rested.

Ryoko halfheartedly agreed, if only because she was too tired to really protest and just curled up on the grass under a blanket and near the fire.

The next two days they pushed their marching speed to insane levels, always getting up as early as possible, and Ryoko just let herself pass out on top of Kamui for the majority of mornings.

She came to with a massive yawn just as they were about to enter the edges of the area where the Feroxi climate started.

"Uh?" she said sleepily, her thoughts still only half-coherent.

"It's starting to get cold." Daraen told her. "Thought you might wanna know."

It took her a while to process those words.

"…Dragons aren't cold-blooded, you know?" She deadpanned. "Besides, I mostly grew up here, and I _like_ the cold."

Daraen shrugged. "You also skipped lunch. Well, _slept_ through it."

Ryoko cursed lightly, but smiled when she was passed some bread.

She absently chewed on it, careful not to dirty her clothes.

Since they would finally be going to a place with decent weather (Ryoko grew up in the cold, and she loved it), the green-eyed woman had decided to change her outfit a little, if only to avoid catching a cold.

She had discarded her tunic in favor of a sleeveless shirt and a pair of semi-armored fingerless gloves that covered most of her arms, exposing a small part of the Seal. She had also decided to wear her scarf, which was orange with black designs on it. It was partially covering the lower part of her face, but it was too long and she had left its ends to flutter in the winds.

Personally, she loved her badass scarf, but it had made her too recognizable and she had honestly forgotten about it until now.

"Is that what I think it is?" Daraen asked, pointing to a lone spot of white in the pale green fields.

Ryoko lazily looked up. "A Pegasus?" she muttered, surprised.

The animal was a slender white horse with large white wings, one of which was held close to its body, and one of its legs was injured.

Daraen, Lissa and Chrom dismounted their horses to approach it.

"It's a Pegasus, all right." Chrom said. "I think it's hurt… let's have a look here…."

Chrom attempted to approach the wounded animal, but it reared threateningly and the man was forced to back up.

"WHOA!" Chrom shouted, surprised. "Down, girl! Easy there!"

 _ **That is the most idiotic thing he could have done.**_ Grima muttered irritably. _**You do not approach injured animals like that.**_

 _'Not if you value remaining uninjured.'_ Ryoko agreed.

"Captain, one moment!" Sumia said, approaching quickly, only to trip and faceplant.

The woman stood up and sighed.

"Sumia!Are you all right?" Chrom asked, partially bemused. "…Those boots of yours again?"

"No!" she replied hastily, "I mean, yes! I mean…" Sumia sighed.

"Well, come no closer. This beast is crazed!" Chrom warned.

Sumia smiled, "It's okay, Captain. I can handle this."

The Shepherds watched in awe as the usually clumsy Sumia slowly approached the injured animal, whispering comforting words as she did.

"Shhh… Easy now, girl. I won't hurt you."

The Pegasus calmed down considerably, and let Sumia pet her snout softly.

"How did she calm it so quickly?" Daraen asked incredulously.

"That's incredible, Sumia!" Lissa exclaimed.

"I've never seen anything like it." Chrom complimented.

Sumia blushed bright red at all the praise.

"Oh, it's…it's nothing." She stammered shyly. "Really. I just have a way with animals, I guess."

"I should say so!" Chrom agreed.

Ryoko hummed in agreement. "Pegasi rarely let strangers close. You're amazing to have managed to calm her as fast as you did."

"You all go on ahead." Sumia said, still red in the face, "I'll dress her wounds and catch up as soon as we're able."

Chrom shook his head. "We can make time to wait for you."

"Thank you, Captain. But I can manage." Sumia told him firmly. "Every moment is precious when all of Ylisse is in danger."

"Right, then." Chrom said, smiling softly. "Be safe, Sumia."

"As you command, sir." Sumia replied.

When Daraen returned to Kamui, Ryoko smirked and whispered loud enough for only him to hear, "They're completely smitten with each other."

Daraen nodded in agreement as he steered their horse forward. "Do you think that we might need to 'help'?"

 _ **Oh no!**_ Grima cried out in mock despair, _**Now there's**_ **two** _ **of them!**_

* * *

 **AN: ...Yeah, I have no idea of what I was thinking when I wrote the last part either.**

 **The name Ryoko gave her horse, Kamui, is the Japanese default name to Fates' Avatar. I was not feeling creative, and most FE mounts are named after another FE character, so I chose that one.**

 **About the little HP thing... well, I had to give an excuse for why the Risen survived being cut in half by Falchion, didn't I? Well, that, and I didn't want Summoners (or Grima) to have their Hordes so ridicuously overpowered when we reach the Endgame that only the Dragons can reliably deal with them.**

 **Miriel's segment and dialogue are hell to write. As are Virion and Maribelle. They are surprisingly fun, though.**

 **And about the Dragonskin skill... Dragons (like Ryoko or Grima) are different and have more raw power than Manaketes (like Nowi or Tiki). I changed Dragonskin's effect to make more sense in-universe, and made it a racial trait for Dragons. Yes, they have to train their asses off for it, and it costs tons of magic, but it makes the user nigh-invulnerable. Grima being Grima, he can use it permanently without even noticing, while normal Dragons will have trouble casting.**

 **As for the ending... it wrote itself. Daraen and Ryoko are now shippers. You have to admit, Chrom and Sumia make a cute couple. As do Chrom and Fem!Robin.**

 **Next chapter, the Longfort! And Ryoko finally gets to sleep.**


	10. Warrior Realm

**AN: I'm back with another chapter, my dear readers!**

 **Oh, and some news. Can't forget those.**

 **First, I'm done with school for the year, so I'll be able to work on this more often. Second, I have a rough outline of where I'd like to take this, and it's _huge_. And I finally have Fates, which may or may not be involved in a possible sequel. I'll decide when I finish all three paths.**

 **Now that I've finished boring you with the uninteresting details of my life, I'll leave you to the story.**

 **Please, review!**

* * *

 _ **Fire Emblem: Dragon's Claw**_

 **~ Chapter 8 ~**

 **Warrior Realm**

"Brrr! F-F-Frebberick! I'm f-f-freebing!" Lissa complained, shivering.

"Stand beside my horse, milady." Frederick said, "She'll shelter you from the wind."

"It's a bit colder than I remembered." Ryoko commented. "Here."

She waved her hand in Lissa's direction, and the young princess wasn't shivering as badly anymore. "Th-Thanks, R-Ryoko."

The blue-haired Dragon shrugged. She was entirely unconcerned with the cold weather, and she would probably be considering just selling her cloak if it wasn't so heavily enchanted.

So while she kept her outfit and munched on chocolate, mostly everyone else was shivering to some degree.

Daraen had finally buttoned up his coat and was keeping the hood up, while Chrom had borrowed Ryoko's cloak for warmth.

"So this is the fortress?" the silver-haired tactician asked, pointing vaguely at the massive wall before them.

Chrom nodded. "Yes, the Longfort. It stretches along the border of Ylisse and Regna Ferox."

"Actually, I think it goes from coast to coast." Ryoko corrected. "I never bothered to check, though, so I could be wrong."

Frederick nodded, "The Khans that rule Ferox have grown quite wary of foreigners." He warned. "Still, don't mistake a lack of hospitality for open hostility. This simply calls for a bit of diplomacy."

"So we get to bash heads in?" Ryoko quipped, earning a glare from the lieutenant.

"Negotiation's not my strong suit," Chrom said worriedly. "but I'll do my best. Remember, everyone: your actions here reflect back upon Ylisse."

Ryoko pouted. "Just so you know, they're more likely to attack first, ask questions later."

She observed the distant wall carefully. She could barely see it, but the soldiers on the walls were moving around.

The green-eyed woman extended her senses as far as she could and activated her Sky-Eyes.

The Longfort was barely within her range, and Daraen wouldn't know how to check, but she managed to pick up mixed emotions from the soldiers.

Unrest, boredom… alarm, urgency… surprise, annoyance, and finally, a fierce determination.

Ryoko hummed in thought, trying to discern the meaning of those emotions.

The first two were easy to place. The soldiers posted at the wall all said that they got very bored very quickly, since they just had to guard a wall and couldn't really do much training in case someone tried to break through.

Being posted at the wall was somewhat of a mild punishment for annoying who was in charge too much, she remembered.

The alarm… well, they had certainly been easy to spot, with their bright hair colors and Ryoko's orange scarf.

Urgency she really had no idea of why it was there unless there had been an increase in bandits trying to get through the border again.

It was probably just a new guy who spotted them and ran off to inform the commanding officer posted here.

 _'I wonder if Raimi is still here….'_ Ryoko commented idly.

Grima laughed. **_You just want to drive her up the wall again._**

 _'Why, I would_ never _dare!'_ she protested insincerely.

He was not fooled by the fake innocence in her voice. **_Let me watch._**

The woman had been assigned to the wall when Ryoko first came though with her father, and she vaguely remembered summoning Fyr and fighting alongside her father… and pissing the woman off spectacularly.

Her lips twitched at the memory.

Back to what she was thinking,— exposition was important, after all, —the surprise had come from a single person, as had the mild annoyance, so Ryoko guessed that the commanding officer recognized something, either her scarf or Chrom, and thought they were bandits.

This did not bode well….

"What's so funny?" Daraen asked.

Ryoko was clearly failing to hide her amusement.

She chuckled. "Just remembering the first time I came through. At that point I could do little more than swing a blade and summon one of my Drakes, so when Father had to prove he was no bandit, I took my ax, summoned Fyr and did a rather good imitation of a young Wyvern Rider with an unusual partner… until Fyr started breathing fire, that is."

The woman started snickering. "Th-The commanding officer's face! It was hilarious!"

Everyone at least cracked a grin at that.

Frederick frowned, and waited until everyone calmed down a little before asking their attention.

"I hate to ruin the moment, milord," he said, "but there's trouble in the wind. The Feroxi guard appear to be mobilizing."

"What?!" Chrom exclaimed, "Why?"

Frederick shrugged. "Who can say? But they look ready to let fly at a moment's notice. We'd best prepare for combat, just to be safe. Perhaps we ought pool our supplies and select which Shepherds to deploy? Loath as I am to trust him, Daraen might offer some valuable insight on this."

"Indeed." The prince said. "He _is_ our tactician, after all."

"It's probably bandits trying to pass through too often for their taste." Ryoko suggested. "That's why me and Father had to fight that time. They want proof that we're not mere bandits."

Chrom nodded in understanding. "So, Daraen, what do you suggest?"

"Oh, can I go with Fyr and see their reactions?" Ryoko asked excitedly.

.

"Halt! Who goes there?!" a Feroxi woman shouted from the wall.

Ryoko's Sky-Eyes flickered for a moment and smirked.

"In the name of House Ylisse, I seek audience with the Khans!" Chrom replied.

"Not another step, my bold lad!" the woman warned. "I've lancers at the ready!"

"Hold, milady! We are not your enemy!" Frederick tried to reason, "Exalt Emmeryn herself sent us to discuss matters of mutual interest."

"My only interest is keeping you out of Regna Ferox, brigand!" the woman shot back.

"B-brigand?" Frederick spluttered indignantly, "Now see here—"

"You think you are the first 'Ylisseans' to try and cross our border?" the woman interrupted angrily and clearly annoyed. "I have the authority to fell such impostors where they stand."

Before Frederick could make the situation worse, Ryoko decided to step in.

"And if we are not impostors?" Ryoko challenged, "Would you risk being the one who broke the treaties and killed both Prince Chrom and the current Seal?"

"You have nothing to prove your claims but a scarf that could be easily stolen and replicated!" the woman shot back.

Ryoko sighed. "Then if you won't listen to reason, let us _prove_ the validity of our claims!"

The woman nodded to herself. "Yes, let's settle this the Feroxi way. You claim to be the prince of Ylisse and the Holder of Grima's Seal? Then prove it on the battlefield!"

Ryoko smirked, gathering her magic. "Gladly."

"What happened to diplomacy?" Chrom asked, annoyed.

He received a laugh from the green-eyed Dragon. "This _is_ their diplomacy!"

"I've heard enough!" the woman shouted. "Attack!"

The Shepherds watched in horror as spears were thrown at Chrom and Ryoko.

They were too far away to do anything, while Ryoko was unable to help because disrupting a Summoning would only backfire spectacularly and kill them all.

The spears were diverted away from Ryoko by the Summoning spell's gathering of energy, and a white blur of feathers suddenly shot towards Chrom.

A moment later, both Chrom and the white blur were gone.

.

Chrom closed his eyes when he saw the spears being thrown his way, certain that he was done for.

Then there was a rush of wind and he suddenly felt himself being lifted up and felt a strong wind in his face.

He opened his eyes, to see—

"Sumia…?" he exclaimed.

The woman turned to face him and smiled.

"Better hold on tight, Captain." She warned, "Could get bumpy."

"Uh… right." He replied, unsure.

Sumia giggled. "You'll be fine."

Chrom noticed the spearmen on the fort were getting ready to aim at them.

"Sumia!" he warned.

"Right!" she replied.

Sumia directed her Pegasus towards them, urging her to go faster as Chrom prepared himself for an attack.

.

Ryoko gathered her magic as fast as she could, knowing the battle was already starting.

She needed to do the Summoning fast if she still wanted to have the time to place a quick dulling hex on their weapons to ensure less causalities.

" **I call upon the Young Leader of the Drakes as the Summoner of Ravenfall! Fyr, I ask for your aid in the coming battle! Summon!** "

In a flash of flames, the large red Feathered Drake appeared besides her, flaring his wings.

" _It's been a while, my friend._ " He said, grinning.

"That it has." Ryoko replied, smirking. "Wanna give Raimi another heart attack?"

" _Who are you kidding, of course I'm in!_ " Fyr exclaimed.

The Pegasus landed nearby, letting Chrom dismount.

"Oh, Captain, I'm so relieved I made it in time." Sumia told Chrom.

"That goes double for me, Sumia!" the man replied gratefully. "And this—is this the same ornery Pegasus we met on the road?!"

Sumia smiled, petting the Pegasus' side. "Oh, she's a sweetheart, isn't she? …Once you really get to know her…"

"Well, many thanks to you both." Chrom said.

"I think the Pegasus is blushing!" Lissa piped in.

"And I think we all best focus on the situation at hand!" Frederick snapped.

"Chrom, they're coming!" Daraen warned.

Chrom looked grim. "Alright, the Feroxi way it is."

"Miriel, Vaike, Stahl, Frederick and Virion, take the left!" the silver-haired tactician ordered quickly, "Sully, Lissa, Kellam and Chorm, we'll take the left! Ryoko, Sumia, go up and do what you can, but beware the archers! We'll open a path first! On my mark!"

Ryoko mounted on Fyr, her sword raised as she cast a minor hex to prevent their weapons from seriously injuring the Feroxi soldiers.

She swapped her sword for the borrowed ax she would be using for now.

"On your command, Daraen, Chrom." She said, smiling mischievously.

"NOW!" Daraen shouted.

The Shepherds quickly split up, while Ryoko and Sumia directed their mounts into the air.

Fyr rose in a single wingbeat, hovering before the stunned soldiers for a second before shooting forwards and letting Ryoko attack with her ax.

A soldier fell with a quick blow to the head, while Fyr's tail took care of another two.

Sumia slammed the butt of her lance into a soldier's stomach, retaking the skies a moment later to circle in the air.

Ryoko and Fyr took care of three more before following her.

From her perch, Sumia frowned. "This will take too long!"

"I know!" Ryoko shouted back over the winds, "We need to defeat Raimi before anything else gets done!"

Sumia thought about it. "Hold on, I have an idea!"

Ryoko watched as the woman descended towards Daraen in order to tell him something, and swooped down to knock out a mage trying to knock Sumia out of the sky.

She activated her Sky-Eyes.

The battle was going well on their side. They ended up taking the left path, and were overwhelming the opposition with sheer numbers and quick nonlethal strikes, Lissa even healing those who were worse off.

The Dragon smiled. That would help their case for sure.

Daraen stayed back to have a quick word with Sumia, and was quite surprisingly holding Chrom's Falchion, who was instead using one of the dulled swords.

It made some amount sense. According to the texts, Falchion could be wielded by both Dragons and the Exalted line, but only one chosen by the blade could do actual damage with it. Dragons only got a dulled blade and any other human who tried to wield it would end up barely able to lift it.

Which meant that Daraen either had some Dragon blood or was a distant relative of the Ylissean rulers. Or both.

Seeing the silver-haired tactician signal her down, Ryoko directed Fyr to land besides him and Sumia.

"You and Chrom need to deal with the commanding officer as soon as possible." He told her. "Sumia and I will try to keep the Feroxi off your asses while the others get there."

Ryoko nodded. "Get on, then. Sumia can take Chrom. It'll keep her guessing, if nothing else, and you get the front-row seats to watch Raimi's expression when she realizes I pulled off the Wyvern Rider thing on her again."

Sumia quickly left to pick up Chrom, and Ryoko helped Daraen get on Fyr before rising into the skies.

Fyr let out a hissing laugh and breathed out a pinkish fire at a large group of soldiers.

The Feroxi weren't burned, but instead became extremely tired or fell asleep.

Raimi, who was watching the battle, gaped openly at the rider of the strangely-colored Wyvern, which she realized just now was not really a Wyvern.

She also realized, when she heard someone laughing their asses off from the not-a-Wyvern, that Ryoko was here, again, and that the brat had used her Summon to mess with everyone. Again.

Ryoko did a quick flyby, waving cheerfully at the Feroxi commander, and a golden sword fell from the Summon's back.

There was a white blur, and Chrom jumped from Sumia's Pegasus, grabbing a hold of Falchion and nearly cleaving Raimi in two if the woman hadn't moved.

As it was, there was a nicely sized crater on the floor.

Fyr glided down close to the door, where Daraen jumped down, and returned to where Raimi was sizing up Chrom before disappearing.

Ryoko landed with little problems beside the Ylissean prince, swapping the ax out in favor of her sword.

"Let our battle sound out the truth of your words!" Raimi declared, stabbing at them.

"Gladly!" Ryoko shot back as she danced out of the way, settling into her stance.

Chrom charged.

Raimi met the charge unflinchingly, effortlessly moving out of the way of the sword despite the bulk of her armor.

She counterattacked.

He dodged and tried to slash at the woman.

She barely moved out the way in time.

Ryoko dashed forward suddenly and struck at the woman's armor a few times before retreating.

Chrom pressed the assault and moved into the woman's guard.

Raimi barely had the time to react before Chrom attacked her and she jumped back on instinct.

She realized her error a second later when Ryoko came barreling towards her and slammed into her, throwing the Feroxi woman into a wall.

Ryoko sighed in relief when Raimi slumped against it dazedly, knowing that the woman would admit defeat.

"Then… your claims were true…" the woman mumbled.

Ryoko cursed. She had overdone it a little, and now Raimi had a concussion. And likely broke something too.

There were times she hated her absurdly high Draconic strength, since it could be so damned inconvenient if she couldn't control herself.

She turned to Fyr. "Please, can you swap out with Fina?"

Fyr sighed. " _You know that's against the Rules._ "

"I _know_ summoning wordlessly is against the Rules." Ryoko snapped back in a slight panic, "I just need you to go back and leave behind some magic to summon _her_ instead. _Please_ , Fyr, she's likely got a concussion and I don't want to cause an international incident because of the Dragon strength."

Fyr thought about it. " _That is something I can do._ "

He shook his head fondly. " _Only you would try to skirt the Rules to avoid paperwork, I swear._ "

Without any further words, he disappeared, some of his magic curling around Ryoko, who used it to Summon again.

" **I call for the Drake Healer Fina. Summon!** "

Fina appeared in Fyr's place and she wordlessly used her healing flame on Raimi before disappearing.

Ryoko swayed dazedly as the magic faded, nearly collapsing, but Chrom helped her stay upright.

"Not again…." She whined.

 ** _Damn, you've reverted to twelve since you released the first level._** Grima muttered irritably, **_Maybe you're overworking yourself a little too much?_**

 _'One, I could not summon back-to-back when I was twelve.'_ She snapped back, _'And two, it's not my fault I am so absurdly overpowered that nobody I know can truly push my limits.'_

 ** _You could try that boot camp the others have mentioned._** He suggested, **_What did they call it? 'Frederick's Frenetic Fitness Hour'?_**

Ryoko shrugged mentally. It was worth a try to see if he managed to help her improve for once, as the damned Dragon strength often prevented her from working on her own power.

The Seal did not help, as it was only recently she regained the ability to Summon and that was not a good way of training her magic. Neither was flinging weak-ass spells at a target, because everything else would wreck everything.

.

"A thousand apologies, Prince Chrom, Ryoko." Raimi said, "I truly took you for brigand impostors. But no frauds could ever wage a battle as you just have, let alone Summon two Drakes like that! I will send word of your arrival to the capital and escort you there personally."

"That would be most appreciated, thank you." Chrom replied sincerely.

Raimi looked worriedly at Ryoko, who appeared still out of it, and left.

"Amazing." Daraen commented. "Her whole demeanor changed."

Frederick sighed. "In Ferox, strength speaks louder than words. I should have known better than to overestimate the value of diplomacy here…."

"They _do_ value diplomacy." Ryoko corrected. "It's just that their idea of it is… well, you just saw it. Unless you're a recognized merchant, any dispute in Ferox is more likely to be settled with a fight than not. You would not imagine the size of certain bar fights can reach."

"So can we get going, Chrom?" Lissa asked impatiently.

Chrom nodded. "Yes, it's only going to get colder out here."

The Shepherds followed Raimi into the Longfort.

Ryoko sighed.

Only one more day of waking up at unholy hours and staying awake from dawn to well into the night. Just one more day, and she could finally rest and sleep off her magical exhaustion.

Maybe, she thought idly, she could also spend a few hours familiarizing herself with the local pubs and bars again. Maybe butt in in a couple of fights.

 ** _It hasn't even been twelve minutes, and you're already thinking of getting drunk?_** Grima asked incredulously. **_Did that one bartender really turn you into an alcoholic?_**

 _'Screw you too, Grima. Ferox has the best damn alcohol in the known world. And I'm really just in for the fights.'_

 ** _…_** ** _and then I remember that you're a damn battle junkie._**

 _Jerk._

 ** _Bitch._**

 _Moron._

 ** _Brat._**

The pair lost themselves to their banter, trading insults as they absently tried to win at a game of poker they joined just for the heck of it.

.

The trek to the Feroxi capital was rather quick, all things considered.

Once there, Daraen, Chrom and Ryoko were led to a warm meeting room.

"Prince Chrom, please wait here while I summon the Khan."

The Ylissean prince nodded. "Of course."

Ryoko adjusted her scarf absently and plopped down unceremoniously onto the nearest elevated surface.

"I wonder if Flavia is still around…." She mused.

"The Khan is away?" Daraen asked, surprised.

"Out training, I'd wager." Chrom replied with a shrug. "The Khans of Ferox prefer battle to politics. Or rather, battle _is_ their politics."

"Yeah." Ryoko added, "I actually helped the East-Khan rise to power when Father disappeared."

"A warrior ruler, eh?" Daraen said, "I can picture him now… A giant of a man of unparalleled thew, his broad chest covered in hair…"

Daraen and Ryoko both started snickering, but for different reasons.

"Am I now?" Someone asked, clearly amused. "…Please, do go on!"

"Huh?" Daraen said, face turning red.

"Still kicking, eh, Flavia?" Ryoko asked as greeting. "Bummer. That means the oaf is still alive and beating you, too."

"I would have said the same, but the world's still here, so…" the speaker shot back teasingly.

A muscled woman in battle armor and holding a shiny silver sword came into view. Her skin had a slight tan to it, while her blond hair was held up in a rather messy ponytail.

"You're the—?!" Chrom nearly exclaimed, but he recovered himself, "Er, that is to say… The Khan, I presume?"

Ryoko snickered to herself and jumped away when Flavia absently swatted at her.

"One of them, yes— the East-Khan." The woman confirmed. "My name is Flavia. I apologize for the troubles at the border, Prince Chrom. You are welcome in Regna Ferox."

"Thank you, but I'm confident we can put that misunderstanding behind us." Chrom replied diplomatically. "Is it true bandits posing as Ylisseans have been ransacking your border villages?"

"Yes. Those Plegian dogs!" Flavia confirmed irritably. "We found documents proving as much on the corpse of one of their captains. Plegia must see some benefit in raising tensions between your kingdom and ours."

"Damn them!" Chrom cursed, then amended, "I… Forgive me, Your Grace. That was… indelicately put."

Flavia scoffed. "Ha! Damn them and damn delicacy! Here in Ferox, we appreciate plain speech."

"In that case, you should have a word with your damn border guards…" Chrom muttered darkly.

The Khan laughed loudly, "Now that's Feroxi diplomacy! Yes, I like you already. I know why you have come, Prince. But regrettably, I cannot provide any Feroxi troops for Ylisse."

"So he _is_ still beating you!" Ryoko exclaimed gleefully, earning a glare from everyone else.

"What?" Daraen asked, "Why not?"

"I lack the authority." Flavia replied sourly.

"In Ferox, the Khans of east and west hold a tournament every couple years." Ryoko explained before anyone could ask, "Whoever wins gets to rule over both kingdoms. And that means they have the final say when it comes to forging alliances and all that stuff."

Flavia nodded, "The West-Khan won the last tournament, you see, and so…"

"So we are to receive no aid at all?" Chrom questioned.

"Not if you always give up so easily!" the blond woman shot back, "The next tournament is nigh, you see, and I am in need of champions."

"What does that have to do with us?" Chrom asked confusedly.

"The captain of my border guard informs me your Shepherds are quite capable, and since Ryoko here is with you…." Flavia said, almost conversationally. "Perhaps you would consider representing the East in the upcoming tournament? If you win and I become ruling Khan, I will grant your alliance."

The blue-haired man thought about the proposal. "I would have assumed Ylisseans had no place in such Feroxi traditions."

Flavia scoffed, "On the contrary. The Khans themselves do not fight— they choose champions to represent them." She explained. "Otherwise our land would be rife with blood feuds and dead Khans! We don't involve comrades or kin for the same reason. Over time, it was decided the tournament should be fought by outsiders. Although the outsiders have never included foreign royalty. …That I know of! Ha! Regardless, it is your choice to make."

"There is no choice, East-Khan." Chrom told her grimly. "My people are desperate. We face not only Plegia's constant attacks, but now the added threat of the Risen. If fighting for you is the quickest way to an alliance, then we will take up our steel."

"Oh, I like you, Prince Chrom." The East-Khan declared, laughing, "I do hope you survive the tournament! Come, I'll show you the arena where the tournament is held. But be wary! I hear an equally able swordsman champions the West-Khan."

"He shall be defeated by Ylisse's necessity." Chrom said, determined to help his country.

"Well spoken again!" Flavia laughed. "I look forward to see if you're equally skilled with a blade!"

The woman turned to Ryoko as she led the small group to the Arena Ferox, "Oh, and Ryoko—"

"Keep your favor, Flavia." The green-eyed Dragon interrupted, smiling. "I'm part of the Shepherds now, and I'm volunteering anyways if there's another Sword-Mage in there."

"Really?" the woman asked "I hope you give a really good show, because a few days ago there was this guy, Levi, who signed up on the oaf's side with the class title of Sword-Mage, and I hear he's pretty good."

Ryoko smirked. "And I have yet to see anyone beating me in a swordfight who hadn't already sparred with me or was trice my age, so…."

Flavia laughed cheerfully.

* * *

 **AN: Ryoko isn't boasting at the end, by the way. It's just something she used to say when she was younger, and has become sort of a joke for her to reply like that when Flavia nags at her.**

 **Fyr... I don't think I've introduced him before. He's the 'Chief' Summon for the Drakes. You may see him a few more times in the future. And you will eventually see more of Ryoko's Summons, but not for a while. She doesn't have _nearly_ enough magic for the stronger ones, but she will soon.**

 **As you can see, Ryoko is a bit of a chronic prankster, and will eventually form a couple of unholy alliances and drive people up the wall with pranks.**

 **The thing about bars... Ryoko had a tendency to accidentally cause bar fights, and eventually started finding them fun. It escalated from there.**

 **Finally, the favor Ryoko owes Flavia... it involves a bet frogs, a chair and a food fight. Not that anybody will ever mention it other than to annoy Ryoko and never let her live it down.**

 **Hope you liked it, and see you next week with another update!**


	11. Demons Of The Past

**Well, here's the next chapter, and as the title implies it is DARK.**

 **Let me make this clear: Ryoko has been running for a long time, and she needs to get over quite a few things. And those things are not very pleasant.**

!WARNING! This chapter will have DEATH, MENTIONS OF SUICIDE and generally dark themes. Keep in mind that a cult trying to destroy the world is involved here, and it won't all be suns and roses. !WARNING!

 **I'll add a brief summary of the events at the start of the next chapter for those of you who are interested but had to skip this. And if I should bump the rating up to M because of this, let me know and I'll do it as soon as possible. Unfortunately I can't take this down because there's important character developement in it, and this was the only real way I could fix the plot holes I left without rewriting the entire story.**

 **Now, onto less depressing matters, I want to give a big thanks to BalancedHex1232 for following and favoriting both me and my story. Really, man, you made my day when I got those notifications. Here's an internet cookie for you. (::)**

 **And a few other cookies for whoever else wants them, too. [::]** **(::)** **[::]** **(::)** **[::]** **(::)** **[::]** **(::)**

 **Please, review!**

* * *

 _ **Fire Emblem: Dragon's Claw**_

 **~ Chapter 9 ~**

 **Demons Of The Past**

The first thing Ryoko did was, unsurprisingly, sleeping for twelve hours straight.

Which irritated Virion, because the green-eyed woman had promised him that she would write the letter once they were in Ferox.

He finally found her the next morning, having breakfast a few hours before lunch as if nothing happened, looking much more energetic than in the past few days.

He would have bet anything that she had exhausted herself fighting again, and kept silent about it.

He couldn't really blame her, as most of the bandits she fought were weak and unskilled, which normally wouldn't require much effort at all.

In fact, he was sure the infuriating woman made target practice out of them, or used them to try out new spells.

"Good day, Lady Roy!" he greeted her cheerfully.

"Hey, 'Rion." She muttered as she finished eating. "'D you want shomething?"

"You said you would write that letter, dear lady." He reminded her, "Do not say you have already forgotten your promise!"

She hit him for that one. "It's morning."

"Almost lunchtime." Virion corrected. "You agreed to this. You're awake, so you should be able to write a letter in my stead."

Ryoko groaned. "Fine."

.

Since the tournament would not start for at least a week, Ryoko asked for permission to go deliver Libra's letter.

Chrom agreed on the condition she took Sumia, Sully and Daraen with her, to which she countered that the important thing was being able to move quickly, and he could come as well.

Flavia had caught them discussing this and offered a job: investigate rumors of a village disappearing.

Ryoko had all but growled that she'd do it for free if it was in the Brezik Mountains.

And that was how she found herself on the road, accompanied by most of the Shepherds who had volunteered for the mission, heading east.

"How is it that you got so riled up about the Brezik Mountains?" Chrom asked curiously. "I don't think I've ever seen you that pissed."

Ryoko raised an eyebrow, "And we met two weeks ago."

"Something tells me that calling you short and threatening friends and family are the only things to get you like that." Daraen countered.

The green-eyed Dragon sighed. "Yeah."

She remembered that day….

"That day…" Ryoko said, "Everything went to shit that day. The village was… they didn't even see it coming…. Nobody did."

Her hands shook a little. "One moment I was playing games with the other children, the next…. Skies, the screams." She shuddered. "Father somehow summoned Shade, ordered him to take me away. I refused. I wanted to help, and roped Fyr into helping me get to the village."

Her vision was blurry. She couldn't tell if it was because she lost control of the spell on her eyes or because she was crying.

Maybe it was both.

"It… it was completely destroyed." She told them, "There was only a small group of survivors, led by Father…. And it was all my fault."

She sobbed quietly.

"It wasn't." Chrom stated. "You were young. There's no reason it could be your fault."

"Y-Yesh it was!" she shot back, "I might as well have killed them myself! I fucking jumped in and got myself caught! Father…" she sobbed, "he exchanged himself for me, with the excuse that the Seal was more valuable than a child."

Daraen seemed to have put it all together. "Skies, they were the Grimeal you mentioned…."

Ryoko nodded miserably. "Shade caught up with me and took me away, but I saw it all. The village, the people… everything…. They burned it all to the ground."

"So the Brezik Mountains are home to Grimeal bandits…." Chrom muttered darkly.

"Were. Mostly." Ryoko corrected. "Fyr managed to help me escape Shade's watch once more. We found Father. I… I think he knew we were there. Truth is… he wasn't killed."

She took a deep breath.

 _ **Oh, no. Don't say….**_

"H-He shouted. He said, 'You have lost. Beyond death, I laugh. My legacy survives.' and killed himself. With my knife— well, sword, now. And threw it roughly in my direction."

A brief flash of fear, grief, horror and rage passed through her mind. Her shoulders shook. She wouldn't cry.

"I-I lost control. T-The Seal… I couldn't handle it. I had next to no barriers, no skill with the sword, little magic beyond the Summons… which were lost when the Seal transfered to me. I remember fire. And dark magic. And death."

And when she found herself in the middle of the hideout, covered in blood, nearly dead from exhaustion, the Seal burned into her arm… Grima had laughed at her for being weak.

He said… if she could not handle death, she had no right to live.

She nearly believed him. She nearly committed suicide. Only one thing prevented her from doing so. The Seal on her arm, ironically.

Because no matter how much she wanted to be with her father, she knew the consequences of dying without an heir. She knew that, if she did it, she would release a rampaging Dragon on the world, and that many more people would lose their families. It was the only thing that stilled her blade that night.

Because she would never be able to forgive herself if she had caused the end of the world with her selfish actions.

In her mind, Grima cried.

He whispered apologies and apologies, saying that he was the biggest asshole to ever exist and that his children were right and he was a prideful bastard who couldn't think before speaking.

And as Ryoko cried, the Shepherds stopped for the day, Sumia made her a pie and everyone else offered their silent support, Chrom and Daraen most of all.

.

It was little less than two days of travel later that they ran into the merchants.

One of them was tending to a badly injured Feroxi soldier, who was likely part of their escort.

Chrom didn't even hesitate in approaching them.

"…seems all hope is lost." The merchant was saying, "Still, hold fast. I'll treat your wounds…."

The soldier grunted in discomfort at his bleeding wounds. "I-It's too late…."

"What's happened here?!" Chrom all but demanded.

Ryoko and Lissa followed suit, intent on saving the dying soldier. They ignored the merchant's reply.

"This will hurt." Ryoko warned as Lissa prepared her staff.

" **Lightning….** "" **Heal**!"

It was something they had learnt was possible with enough control.

While Lissa gave the initial push of healing magic, Ryoko would use her Lightning to enhance the spell, then Lissa would push more of her magic into the spell and direct so that it would have the greatest effect. However, neither of the two had figured out how to avoid the pain caused by the Lightning element, much to their dismay.

Still, it wasn't long before the soldier was healed. Unconscious and with other minor wounds, but he would survive.

"Just tell us what happened." Daraen sighed.

"Bandits have blocked the road ahead." Another merchant replied "They're demanding a king's ransom in illicit tolls for all who wish to pass."

"So they wish to make profit on people with next to nothing to their name?" Ryoko snarled irritably. "On survivors of the massacres?"

She muttered a few choice words, all insulting the bandits in some way.

The merchant raised an eyebrow, and turned to Chrom, "Our caravan's livelihood is at stake. We'll do no business in this country now…."

"The flow of goods must be secured, milord, or the people are likely to starve." Frederick told Chrom, who nodded.

"Then we'll secure it." He turned to the merchants. "You and your caravan can wait here. We'll let you know when it's safe."

The merchant nodded happily in thanks.

Without any further ado, the Shepherds quickly made their way to the village.

.

In the end, the village needed little help. It had already been mostly torched, very few surviving. At least one of the Secret Sellers was in the area, and she made short work of the bandits as the group was spread thin searching out survivors and taking out stragglers.

"A thousand thanks, good sir." The merchant told them, "I'd feared our goods would spoil before reaching market. I'm certain the townsfolk will be happier for the fresh food as well."

The Secret Seller approached Chrom, "It seems you've done a kindness to my fellow merchants. The name's Anna. Some folks like to call me the Secret Seller. Next time we meet, I'll be sure to cut you an extra-special deal."

"…Secret Seller?" Chrom asked, "That sounds… familiar."

"She's the one I buy my blades from." Ryoko chimed in. "A bit expensive, but the extra cost is totally worth it if you know what you're doing."

Anna hummed in agreement. "That's right. Do I know you?"

"Ryoko or Roy Ravenfall." The green-eyed Dragon prompted, "I use them pretty much interchangeably."

Anna's eyes lit up. "Oh, yes, I remember you. The Gate."

"I've been there no less than twelve times." Ryoko countered irritably, "You girls are the only Guardians I can't tell apart, Ana."

"It's Anna, dear." The redhead merchant corrected with a sigh, "No matter, I need move on. Until next time, happy shopping, and may the gods of the open road keep you!"

Chrom glanced at Ryoko. "May I know what the hell was _that_ about?"

Ryoko shrugged. "Her family all look nearly the same. Most of them are merchants, but they also guard the Outrealm Gate from eldritch abominations trying to break through from time to time."

"And the Risen Hordes then?" Daraen asked irritably. "I'd say they count."

Ryoko shuddered. "Trust me, Grima has nothing on certain monsters in other realms. I had to fight one of those things, and that was the only time I went all-out. Barely survived with my sanity intact."

"Sanity?" Daraen asked. "Do I even _want_ to know?"

"I'll just say 'mind-raping Cthulhu' and leave it at that."

Even _Grima_ had agreed to help her in that battle, and even then they had to completely release and merge to even avoid one attack. Considering they hated each other at the time, and that Ryoko barely had any magic available (which he had constantly mocked her for), it took them a long while to swallow their pride enough to do it.

And, while Grima had not been affected much, Ryoko had seen some rather horrifying memories of his.

But hey, on the bright side, they quit antagonizing one another constantly after that one, and avoided sore points like the plague.

"Excuse me…." A woman called as she approached the group.

Out of instinct, Ryoko stepped forward, acting for all rights like a veteran mercenary and not like she had been remembering things she shouldn't for her mental health.

"Yes?" she asked the woman, "Did you need something?"

The woman nodded nervously. "Er… yeah. I… that is…. The bandits that attacked… they have an hideout nearby."

"And how would you know that?" Frederick demanded.

The woman flinched as if struck, and Ryoko raised her hand, sparks dancing on it.

"Frederick." She growled in warning. A moment later, she forced herself to relax and addressed the woman. "Are you sure?"

The woman nodded hesitantly. "Y-Yes. I was in Bren… well, the ruins…. Paying my respects, you know?"

Ryoko's eyes widened. "A _Bren survivor_!?"

"You know of the Bren Massacre!?" the woman yelped.

"'Of'? I was _there_." Ryoko replied. "For both. Father led the last of the resistance against them."

Now that Ryoko looked at the woman, she was very familiar. "Elvira?"

"Yes." The woman replied reflexively. "Wait, your father… Ryoko? You were _there_? That means… oh, _gods_."

The look of horror in the woman's face when she realized that her old playmate had witnessed her father being dragged away by the Grimeal in chains so thick that a single link could easily weight like a large rat was something that closely mirrored Ryoko's expression once she realized that her father had killed himself.

"Sorry." Ryoko whispered.

The woman, Elvira, shook her head. "You have nothing to apologize for."

Ryoko tried to protest, "But—"

"If you feel like you have to make up for it, clear Bren of the bandits that started living there like nobody's business." Elvira interrupted firmly. "If anyone should have done something, it was me. I trained to be part of the town guard, and I was frozen there. You at least tried."

"And got myself captured." Ryoko insisted. "If I hadn't…"

"They would have killed him anyways." Elvira interrupted again, her hands firmly on Ryoko's shoulders, "By getting caught, you stopped them from destabilizing the Seal or stealing the knife.

"If you so much want to 'atone' for it, get the bandits to leave the place alone, and maybe make a small offering to the dead."

Ryoko wiped away her tears with her glove and nodded. "Y-Yeah. I'll do that."

"Good." The woman said. "I'm coming with you."

Ryoko nodded again. "I could never stop your stupid stunts anyways. Just remember to bring your sword this time."

"It was ONCE!" Elvira screeched indignantly. "And Reynar stole it!"

"You fought bandits barehanded." Ryoko deadpanned. "Oh, and have you seen a priest who goes by the name of Kynthelieg?"

"Kyn?" Elvira replied, "He's been staying with me before they torched the place. Now… I'm not sure."

Ryoko smiled a little, "I have a letter from his brother."

It was Elvira's turn to smile. "About damn time! He's been bitching about it for _weeks_!"

The green-eyed Dragon laughed, because that sounded exactly like Kyn.

.

Ryoko had, to nobody's surprise, requested to spend the night with Elvira and Kynthelieg.

Chrom, Frederick and Daraen consented, if only to let her get some closure by speaking to someone from her past.

It wasn't long before everyone went to sleep.

Well, _almost_ everyone.

Well-hidden by the shadows, a rather short cloaked figure slipped out of a house and headed towards the village's stables. Or what was left of them.

The shadowed figure quickly saddled one of the horses.

"I thought I might find you here." Someone said.

The figure yelped in fright, turning to the speaker.

" _Elvira_!?" Ryoko hissed, readjusting her fallen hood. "Frozen Hells, woman! Do you want me to wake up the village?"

"Sorry." Elvira said, not apologetic at all. "I'm not letting you go alone."

"Like _shit_ you're stopping me." Ryoko growled.

"I know." Elvira replied with a smirk.

"We're coming with you." Someone else declared.

A small group of people, led by Kyn, came into view.

"Reynar? Astrid? Burkni? Geir?" Ryoko whispered. "You're all alive?"

"Kaja too." Geir replied. "She lost a leg two years ago."

The green-eyed Dragon tried not to break into senseless sobbing.

"I-I thought…" she wasn't very successful, "I thought you all died!"

Her old playmates… all six of them… were _alive_. Seeing Elvira had been a shock to her. After searching for nearly a month she had given up on anyone other than her having survived.

"I searched for you! I searched for a month and all I could find was corpses!"

"Sorry." Astrid apologized, "El, Burkni and Geir dragged us into hiding. I wanted to look for you, but they wouldn't let me out of their sight even at night."

"We should go." Kyn told the group. "We don't have much time if we want to make it back before everyone wakes."

"And I should damn well report you to Chrom." Daraen's voice interrupted.

The man came into view moments later, looking angry. "I thought, Ryoko, that orders were to sort this out in the morning?"

Ryoko looked down for a second, before her gaze hardened again. "I'm sorry, 'Ren, but this is something I _have_ to do myself. Otherwise, the demons of my past will only continue to haunt me."

"Then you should have said something, you idiot." Daraen scolded, "Don't rush into battle without a tactician, damn it!"

"You're coming?" Ryoko asked, surprised.

"Of course." Daraen replied, "Now get moving before I regret this and change my mind."

"Yes, sir!" Ryoko saluted mockingly as she smoothly jumped onto Kamui. "I'll introduce you on the way."

Daraen climbed up behind her, and nodded. "Fair enough."

The group quickly got out of the village, heading slightly northeast.

 _ **Today is just one thing after another.**_ Grima commented as they rode.

 _'Yeah….'_ Ryoko agreed distractedly. _'And, think, we haven't gone to sleep yet. I guess what they say is true, after all….'_

 _ **What do they say?**_ Grima asked curiously.

 _'That the past has a way of catching up to you, no matter how much you try to run.'_ Ryoko told him.

 _ **Sounds ominous.**_ He commented sarcastically, _ **Do you think that being had something to do with it?**_

 _'No.'_ She replied, _'He's too powerful, and the Seal is still active. There's something we're missing.'_

 _ **That something must be really big, 'cause that guy doesn't make much sense.**_ He countered, _ **He attacked us out of nowhere.**_

 _'Maybe we were just at the wrong place at the wrong time. Or something.'_

 _ **Maybe.**_ Grima sighed. _**Listen…. I… I'm sorry for how I acted back then. I openly insulted you for no good reason and didn't even try to understand.**_

 _'Are we going to keep apologizing to one another?'_ Ryoko laughed to herself, _'But still, thanks. I know it's hard for you to swallow your damn pride and apologize.'_

 _ **I'm trying now. You're damn amazing, you know? All that torment… most people would have crumbled and offed themselves.**_

 _'I know. I tried. I just couldn't.'_

 _ **You attempted suicide!?**_ Grima screeched, shocked.

 _'Yeah.'_ Ryoko replied with a sigh. _'I don't want to talk about it.'_

The connection was completely silent for a few minutes.

Without warning, Grima's power pulled her into a warm embrace.

 _ **Whenever you're ready, I swear I will listen. You're not alone anymore.**_

.

The village's ruins were exactly as Ryoko remembered them, if a bit more ruin-like, the streets overgrown and obviously not recently incinerated.

"Okay, what do we have?" Daraen asked quietly.

"Swords and the elemental arrows." She replied. "There might still be Grimeal around. Kyn is a War Monk, so healing and axes. Geir is really tough and uses axes as well, if I recall. El has always been fast and favored knives and shortswords. Reynar favored the sword and shield approach. Burkni was just about the only idiot who wanted to become a Blade-Mage and started with lances and Light magic, and Astrid was an ax nut, but could fight with swords as well."

"So eight fighters, three of whom mages and one a healer?" he muttered, "Against what? A few dozen bandits? We're screwed."

"Not really." Ryoko replied, "I remember that one time when we had this kind of odds against the Valmese Army, only we were trying like hell to escape with some documents and not get killed."

"Really?" Daraen prompted curiously, "Anything they used that could come useful?"

"They rushed us in the middle of the night making a massive racket." Ryoko deadpanned. "Granted, they _were_ the Army, and the cavalry division to boot, so most people would have shit their pants a dozen times over."

The silver-haired tactician hummed thoughtfully. "Perhaps if we used similar tactics… without announcing ourselves…."

 _ **He makes a very appealing point.**_ Grima muttered.

"They'll likely be getting drunk somewhere." Ryoko suggested. "Snipe the few guards and patrols, crash their party after killing the leader or injuring him, and we'll likely be set if we're quick enough."

Daraen nodded. "Makes sense. Do you think we should use the Sky-Eyes?"

"You're the tactician." Ryoko pointed out as a reply, "I'll just make do."

"There's two people near that house."

Ryoko quickly took out her new wooden bow and stringed it. She spread her awareness a little, looking for the targets Daraen pointed out.

"See 'em."

She shot twice in quick succession, the thin bolts of lightning finding their targets without a sound.

"So… what do we do?" Elvira asked.

"We sneak in," Daraen said "take out as many as we can without getting noticed— tree on the left —and then rush the leader and his underlings."

"How many are we dealing with?" Geir inquired, "You _are_ a Sky-Eyes, right?"

Daraen nodded, "Including the ones Ryoko took out I can see about thirty. They're weak, mostly with axes, and two or three bowmen and mages."

"That's more varied than what we usually deal with." Astrid commented.

Burkni nodded. "They must be one of the southern bands. They're more organized there, as up here we all have to try to survive and killing one another only makes things worse."

"Lemme check." Reynar said, taking out a small book and quickly flipping through it.

He stopped at one particular page, which he showed the group. "Here. Vincent and Victor. They're from the Cobalt Devil Syndicate, rumored to have gone rouge. They favor hoarding money and using it to attract common thugs."

"I have to get one of those." Ryoko muttered. "Am _I_ there?"

Reynar took the book back and flipped through it. "Well, damn."

Ryoko looked at it. She hadn't known the bounty on her had _risen_ from the last time she pulled a mass prank on the Valmese Army.

"Yep. Still pissed." She deadpanned.

"What did you _do_?" Elvira hissed hysterically.

"Pulled a fast one on Walhart." She replied, waving it off, "Nothing much. Let's focus on teaching this bitches some respect."

"Yes." Daraen agreed, "We should clear the place out quickly and get back before dawn."

Ryoko grimaced. "We'll be stretching it as it is."

"All the more reason to get this over with." Astrid stated. "Let's get moving."

"Ryoko, you'll lead a small team with the fastest ones to kill the leader." Daraen said, "Don't get seen. Kynthelieg, you're a healer, right?"

"Yes, I can heal."

"Then you'll follow behind with the other fighters and keep them busy after the initial strike. If there's anyone of you who knows magic, you'll be with me as we strike from a vantage point."

Everyone nodded.

As Ryoko had predicted, Elvira had immediately gone with her, while Burkni had stayed with Daraen.

"Let's go." Elvira declared.

Without wasting any time, they were off, sprinting towards where Daraen said he saw the most people.

Ryoko and Elvira took the long way, ducking through the ruins expertly, almost as if they were children once more with the level of familiarity they possessed with the place.

They needed to give some time to the others to catch up and, as Daraen had suggested, it would serve as a distraction.

And a distraction it was.

Ryoko all but Flashed in, sword ablaze, launching fireballs and lightning projectiles all over the place, attacking everyone in reach, while Elvira followed shortly after, throwing a number of sharp knives and ducking under Ryoko's assault to attack any bandits who had survived it.

Not even half a minute had passed, and they had lost some momentum, but then spells started raining from the walls, figures barely visible by the light of flashing circles that signified a Tome's activation.

Then the fighters arrived from the other side, Geir and Reynar in the lead and taking the hits from the confused and terrified bandits, while Astrid made quick strikes before jumping back behind them, and Kynthelieg alternated attacking and healing any damage suffered by his allies.

Withing two minutes, all but one were killed.

And that one…

"Ana?" Ryoko almost screeched in surprise, "What are you doing here?"

The redheaded merchant ignored the question, "It's _Anna_ , dear. With the double."

"That's what you all say." The green-eyed woman muttered, "It won't suddenly make me able to pronounce it. Now answer the question, please."

Anna raised her hands in surrender, "I was just passing through, and found myself surrounded by these thugs, so I decided to hide 'till morning."

Daraen sighed. "This scene looks absurdly familiar…."

"What, like this afternoon?" Ryoko shot back teasingly.

He sighed again, "Yes. It looks like they have a knack for getting into trouble with bandits."

"Oh? You've met some of my sisters?" Anna asked.

"We saved one of you this afternoon." Daraen deadpanned.

"Well, I can't just send you on your way after helping _two_ of us." Anna declared, "You and the blue-haired one are mercenaries, right? Let me come along and aid you in return. I can be quite useful. You'll never make a loss with me in tow— I guarantee it!"

Ryoko glanced at Daraen. _Now what?_

Daraen shrugged. _How should I know?_

Finally, Ryoko shrugged as well, "Well, if you got nothing better to do…."

Daraen smiled a little when Ryoko turned to him. _Chrom's going to flip when he hears about this. I just know it._

.

Just as dawn approached, Ryoko sighed and turned her back on Bren, calling her wings and flying off.

She landed a short distance away, in a field that looked like it had been ravaged by extremely powerful magics. And for good reason… it _was_.

Ryoko took a few talismans out of her pouch, all of which had an identical symbol on them: six eyes, connected by a 'V' shape. The so-called Mark of Grima.

The Grimeal Mark.

She walked to a single stone slab, a makeshift grave, surrounded by thick chains.

She remembered it.

The oppressiveness of Grima's Dragon Mask, the heavy three pairs of wings, the burning in her right arm. Flames of blackish Hellfire and screaming, dieing men, pleading mercy as dark magic ravaged their dying bodies.

She had stood in the middle of it all. The eye of the storm.

She shook her head.

"Hey, Father." She whispered, "It's been over ten years now. Sorry I'm late. I've been a bit of a coward, but I'm getting better. Did you know Elvira is still around? She survived. She and As and Burkni and Geir and her brother. We cleared the village of bandits, just like you did before, a few hours ago. Kaja is still alive, too. Geir said she lost a leg."

She shook her head. "Some of the bandits were Grimeal, you know? I've been running from them all this time…. This is the first time I've openly attacked them instead of running. I… I think it's time I quit running away.

"Sorry, Father, I know you wanted me to live peacefully, but the annoying voice in my head and I both agree that this is for the best. With war on the horizon, I cannot stay out of the way. It's about damn time I let go of the chains of my past. I will get stronger and fight. Goodbye, Father. **Shadowed Blaze**!"

Powerful black flames burned the amulets in her hand, destroying them, falling to the ground as Ryoko let go of them and Flashed away.

She reappeared back at the village, wiping away her tears with a faint smile.

It would be alright.

She would get stronger and protect her new family this time. She had faced her demons and won.

And, as she watched the dawn with her old friends, one of the two people who had helped her through the trauma, and her new brother, she decided that the sleepless night was entirely worth it.

.

Had Ryoko waited when she let go of the burning talismans, she would have seen the flame turn silver and spread to the soil around the grave and the chains.

The fire burned until dawn, and when it was gone, everything seemed brighter.

The chains had become small vines with beautiful light blue flowers. The ground around the grave was starting to grow grass, and tiny orange, yellow and purple flowers dotted the circle it made.

In the middle of it all, a small sapling with silver flowers stood in front of the grave.

Next to it floated a figure, dressed in black, silver and golden armor with a cape fluttering in a nonexistent wind, with red hair and green eyes that didn't appear to be able to decide which shade of the color they were.

"Grow strong little one," the figure whispered, "I'm proud of you. Me and Kate both."

* * *

 **Well, that was _hard_. I almost cried writing this. And, again, editing it.**

 **That bit with Ryoko and Virion at the beginning? After that they'll do the B-support, but I didn't know how to write it out and I left it on pause to make space for Ryoko delivering Libra's letter as she promised to. As you can see, it escalated quickly and it didn't feel right to add it anymore.**

 **Brezik Mountains are an original location I added near the village from side story/paralogue 2 and the ruins from paralogue 4. The ruins, by the way, are the remains of the Bren village, which does not exist in-game, but I thought I'd give it a bit more backstory.**

 **Next, the bit about Anna. Again, Ryoko cannot pronounce some sounds because she learned the language a little too late and got an accent. Thus she gets called 'Ana' by her. The Guardian thing... Have you noticed how an Anna appears at the Outrealm Gate? I thought it was a nice excuse, but they couldn't _all_ be guarding _all_ the Gates, so I also added that bit about more than one single Guardian for the various Gates.**

 **Elvira, Astrid, Burkni, Geir, Kaja and Kynthelieg are all OCs and all of them (except maybe Kyn) will only recieve a mention or two, if that. I haven't decided yet if I should keep Kyn alive until the next arc or have him go with Libra.**

 **The little scene at the end, with Ryoko visiting her father's grave and taking her life in her own hands? It was completely made in a spur of the moment. You'll probably see this place again in the post-game arc.**

 **And the man, in case you haven't figured it out (which means I really suck at hinting at stuff), is Ryoko's father. Or, rather, his ghost. His name is up to your imagination, readers. I ain't going to say it.**

 **Well, I hope you liked it, and please leave a review. Bye!**


	12. Khan's Tournament

**Hello, readers! Here's the new chapter!**

 ** _For those who skipped chapter 9_ : **While waiting for the Tournament to start, Ryoko and Chrom accept a job to investigate rumors of disappearing villages. They find the cause to be two brothers from a gang and take out one of them, saving the villagers and some of Ryoko's old friends. Ryoko reveals some of her past and, that night, sneaks out with Daraen and her old friends to drive out the bandits who made a base in the ruins of their hometown. They kill the bandits, and Ryoko makes peace with her past.

 **This will be the battle against the West Khan's representatives. I decided to format the tournament as a series of one-on-one battles, rather than a single one, for two reasons: I thought it fit better with my story to do it like this, and I read another fanfic that used this format for the battle and I liked it a lot. I can't remember the name, though.**

 **Foral of Plegia and the Poet Magician Lukas are random OCs made to fill the gaps for the battles and will likely either never be mentioned again or make brief appearances in the next arc.** **The third OC, however, is going to be part of the main cast.**

 **Also, thanks to ProtonMudkip for following Dragon's Claw.**

 **Well, enough rambling for now! On to the story!**

 **Please, review!**

* * *

 _ **Fire Emblem: Dragon's Claw**_

 **~ Chapter 10 ~**

 **Khan's Tournament**

The being observed from the shadows as the East and West champions prepared themselves.

Everything was going as it should.

The princeling was there, consulting his tactician on who to send. The Seal Holder was there, looking irritated, and it assumed that the favor he owed had been called in.

No, wait.

The West had some changes.

One of the interlopers was there.

It hissed.

No matter. The course of history would not change from this. It had to make plans for the next event, and he was certain that the interlopers would attempt to divert the rightful course of history there.

It seemed that it would have to reveal itself sooner than it'd like.

.

"So!" Ryoko said, getting everyone's attention, "Any volunteers?"

"Hell, I'm in!" Sully shouted, "Let me kick some serious ass!"

"The Vaike volunteers himself!" Vaike declared loudly.

Kellam raised his hand, unseen, while Sumia looked as if she wanted to but didn't trust in her own abilities.

"Well… at least Virion isn't trying to do it." Ryoko told Daraen, who looked horrified at the prospect.

"Well, I've heard that Chrom's opponent is a swordsman, so he shouldn't have any problems." She said, changing the subject.

"I'd hope not." Daraen replied, "His victory will likely be the most important. And you? Will you have trouble?"

Ryoko shook her head. "There's another Blade-Mage in the tournament, so I'll get in for sure."

"That's not what I meant." Daraen pressed.

She sighed. "It's going to end up an exhibition match, and I'll be exhausted by the end of it. I've done it before, 'Ren, don't worry."

"Well, you should train anyways." He countered.

"And you should do it as well." She shot back, "And you should also choose only one specialty."

They spent the rest of the morning bickering, and the entire afternoon flinging spells at each other, particularly, Thunder ones.

.

"Ryoko, what's an 'exhibition match'?" Lissa asked, "I mean, what's the difference with a normal match?"

"Well…" the green-eyed Dragon replied, "they're like dancing, I guess."

"The comparison with an artistic discipline such as dancing is highly illogical." Miriel stated, "I would request you elaborate."

Ryoko sighed, "The point of the battle is being impressing and showing off spells and moves."

"It still doesn't make sense." Lissa said.

Ryoko groaned. "Look, just have everyone who wants to know how it works come to the mages' training ground and I'll demonstrate."

Lissa nodded and went to do just that, and Ryoko and Daraen decided to just go ahead and practice spells while they were at it.

When Lissa (and the rest of the Shepherds plus Flavia, who wanted to see the demonstration) entered the grounds, the pair were practicing Natural magic.

Or, rather, Ryoko was teaching Daraen how to do it quickly.

Ryoko had been holding up a shield while Daraen tried to break it with rather weak spells.

"Oh, hey guys!" she greeted cheerfully.

A moment later, she was sent tumbling to the ground as a blast of wind collapsed the shield and hit her.

She got up immediately. "Weak, but your strikes are extremely controlled and precise. You can use it in battle if you bring up your endurance and hit to make the greatest amount of damage."

Daraen nodded. "Well, I haven't been learning for most of my life."

Ryoko shook her head. "No. You just forgot how to use it."

"Well?" Lissa asked impatiently.

Ryoko sighed, taking out her sword. "A normal match is just fought to win. An exhibition match is a test of skill."

She looked pointedly at Daraen, who seemed to understand.

He took out his own blade with a flourish, throwing a blade of wind.

Ryoko quickly threw a wave of flames at it before jumping over it with a rather impressive flip.

They briefly exchanged spells and blows, until Daraen tripped and fell.

"Like that." Ryoko said before turning to the silver-haired tactician. "See? I told you you knew how to do it. You just need to work on your balance, ditch the tome and maybe learn to use a few more weapons, and you'll get the class title of Blade-Mage."

.

It was finally the day of the tournament. They were all as ready as they could be.

The Shepherds were all sitting in the East section of the Ferox Arena.

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! WARRIORS FROM ALL AROUND!" the announcer shouted, "WELCOME TO THE KHAN'S TOURNAMENT!"

The crowd cut him off as they all cheered.

"I see you're all excited for it!" the announcer laughed, "But before we begin, I must ask to all the fighters for the yearly Battle Tournament to hand in their registration forms before the third battle ends! Otherwise we won't be able to find you a spot! Team battles will be tomorrow, so we'll be able to accept the forms for those until the end of the day! Don't forget!"

There was a moment of pause.

"Next, all fighters except the Champions will have to keep in mind that their battles will have a time limit of ten minutes each, unless you're planning on an exhibition match! Mage battles will have thirteen minutes! Blade-Mages will have twenty minutes regardless of what kind of battle they wish to do! If you go over the time limit, the battle will go to the least injured!

"Finally, I'd say it's time to get this Tournament started!"

The crowd cheered again.

"Five battles, winner gets the point, and by the end of the Tournament the Khan whose representatives won the most points wins!" The announcer shouted, "Now, for the first battle, representing the West, Foral of Plegia!"

The crowd cheered as a huge dark-skinned man with dreadlocks and a massive ax calmly strolled into the arena.

"And representing the East, one of the Ylissean Shepherds, Vaike!"

The obnoxious blond walked into the arena without the furs they had forced on him so that he didn't catch something.

Ryoko frowned. "He isn't going to have it easy…."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Sully demanded angrily.

"I've fought him once or twice." Ryoko replied, "He certainly knew how to use that ax when he was seventeen. And I'm sure he has only gotten better over the years."

"FIGHT!" the announcer shouted.

.

Ryoko groaned as the second battle ended.

As she had predicted, Vaike had been badly outmatched and lost. And now Sully lost as well.

Granted, the woman had put on an impressive fight, but her opponent was twenty years older than her and was much more experienced.

She huffed. ' _It's no wonder the oaf never lost. Two of his men are war veterans, and at least one other is Valmese!'_

 _ **Not to mention that he has a Blade-Mage, and a powerful one to boot.**_ Grima grouched, _**He's all but cheating.**_

 _'Well, I have him, and Daraen can at least make up for the experience gap with his tactics.'_ She reasoned.

Chrom was frowning as well. "This isn't going well."

"'Ren will win." Ryoko said, a certainty in her voice that she didn't have since her younger days. "Then I will kick ass. And then you will destroy the oaf's Champion."

"How can you be so certain in a situation so precarious?" Chrom asked.

"No amount of experience can beat superior tactics." She replied. "I have the Seal on my side. My reserves may not be enough to Summon, but spells? Piece of cake. And you're an amazing swordsman, boss."

The blue-haired noble cracked a smile. "I guess you're right."

"No guess, boss." Ryoko told him cheerfully. "You _are_ pretty damn good with your sword. You nearly tied with me on your first try, and that takes skill."

"If only because you don't stop moving and it's quite unsettling to see aimed against you." He teased lightly.

"I have to ask, why did you put down 'Roy' on your sign-up?" Frederick questioned.

She shrugged. "Just for old times' sake. Well, that and I didn't want to bring people down on my ass because they couldn't tell my gender and I used my ancestor's name. Again."

Chrom looked as if he was going to say something, but the announcer spoke up.

"Now for the third match, folks! It might very well decide the outcome of this tournament! The East cannot afford to lose any more battles! But will they manage to defeat the long-running fighters of the West?

"Let's find out! Fighting for the West, the Poet Magician, Lukas! Fighting for the East, we have a complete unknown! Let's welcome the mysterious Daraen!"

The two fighters entered one after another.

Lukas was young compared to the oaf's other champions— around Ryoko's own age. He was tall, his attire colorful and missing the typical Mage's hat. On his belts were a multitude of different and powerful tomes.

Daraen calmly strolled in, his hood up and hands in his pockets.

Ryoko stifled a laugh.

"What's so funny?" Sully demanded.

"He's taunting him." Ryoko laughed quietly, "He's taunting the guy and he's totally falling for it!"

"How are you able to distinguish a taunt when it has not been spoken?" Miriel asked.

"Look at Daraen's stance." Frederick replied. "He's not showing his face, taking his time to get into position, and has no visible weapon. He looks as if he were taking a stroll. To a warrior, that's an equivalent of not taking the opponent seriously."

"But if you look carefully, you can see that he's ready to jump at a moment's notice." Ryoko pointed out.

Chrom realized what the tactician's first move would be. "And I'd be willing to bet that he has a tome in his pockets."

"They are certainly large enough to fit a beginner tome." Virion agreed.

"FIGHT!"

.

His opponent immediately cast a wind blade at him.

Daraen dived to the side, quickly rolling to his feet and taking out his tome. " **Thunder!** "

Rather than just one spell, he also started gathering power for a second one.

He dodged Lukas' spells easily.

Ryoko could cast both much faster and in greater number, and he could avoid ten out of thirteen of those.

However, a mage's battle was not just hitting faster than your foe.

To win, especially when disadvantaged, required skill and strategy.

" **Consume everything, oh divine flames! Cleanse these fools of their sins! Valflame!** "

"W-Wha-!?" Lukas yelped, scrambling away from the spell.

In his surprise and haste, he did not notice Daraen's hands sparking with electricity, nor the light blue seal forming on the ground.

Daraen prepared a second spell as he moved effortlessly around the arena, carefully placing his trap.

The other man panicked, launching a flurry of spells in an effort to keep Daraen occupied.

He simply weaved through them, taking special care to avoid the more powerful spells before the other, weaker ones.

" **Descend and tear the skies apart! Elthunder!** " he countered.

The fool that was his opponent walked right into his trap.

He had predicted this, of course.

Lukas was convinced that in a battle of magic, even weak spells had to be avoided. It was a rather valid strategy.

However, with no cover and no allies to aid you, it could result in a mage's downfall rather quickly.

Something within him sang happily as he finalized the trap.

Lukas had jumped right in the middle of the sigil he had been drawing as he moved around the arena in an effort to avoid a rather weak spell alongside Elthunder.

Daraen smirked. "Checkmate! **[Dragon Vein], activate!** "

The sigil glowed yellow, and a moment later Lukas was on the ground, bound by ethereal blue-white ropes.

"Lukas is unable to fight! Daraen wins!" the announcer declared.

There was a moment of stunned silence.

And then…

"Go, Daraen!" Lissa cheered, whooping happily.

The entire arena— those who were rooting for the East, anyways —exploded immediately after, following the Shepherds' lead.

With a twinge of disappointment, he cut off the power to the sigil and let the [Dragon Vein] return to its dormant state.

.

 _ **Well, that was… unexpected.**_ Grima commented.

 _'Brother….'_ Ryoko whispered, not really paying attention, _'It was really you, after all.'_

 _ **There's at least five generations until you two have a common ancestor, how in the Frozen Hells is he your brother?**_ He asked incredulously.

 _'One, Mother told me he was my new brother.'_ She replied irritably, _'Two, we were raised as brothers. Three, shut up.'_

"Ryoko? Are you alright?" Chrom asked, bringing her out of her thoughts.

"Y-Yeah." Ryoko stuttered. "Just fine."

"You don't seem 'fine'." He pressed. "In fact, you look as if you're about to pass out or something."

Ryoko realized that the man simply _did not know_.

"You have no idea of what just happened, have you?" she asked bluntly.

"Daraen just kicked that guy's ass, that's what happened!" Sully said happily.

"Not quite." Ryoko corrected. "He used a dormant [Dragon Vein]."

"I have no idea of what that's supposed to mean." Stahl stated.

"Only those of strong Dragon Blood can use [Dragon Vein]." Ryoko explained. "However, only three kind of beings can use dormant ones like that."

Everyone stared at her expectantly.

"True Dragons, extremely old Manaketes, and the descendants of one of the First Dragons. There are only three lines that carry their blood here. One is yours, Chrom, descended by a daughter of the Dawn Dragon, its power dormant. Another is Walhart's, in Valm, only recently awakened. Neither of them can sense the [Dragon Veins] now."

"And the third line?" Kellam prompted, as Ryoko had stopped.

"The third line…" Ryoko continued, "…descended from the Dragon God of Earth. It was broken, split into three families, a thousand years ago. They scattered across the world. Thirty years ago only three people remained, one for each. My father. Lorenne, who knew Mother. Reaghan, who was in hiding."

Without any further words, Ryoko went down to prepare for her battle.

.

"This match promises to be an entertaining one, folks!" the announcer shouted, "For the first time in ten years, we have the pleasure to assist to a battle of Blade-Mages!"

The crowd cheered loudly in clear excitement.

"Fighting for the West, we have a man who has yet to be lose in a battle of magic! The Shadow's Sorcerer! Let's hear it for the Dragon of Lorene, LEVI!"

Black mist rolled on the floor of the arena, and a man shrouded in a black cloak came in casually as if taking a walk. He took off his hood, revealing piercing red eyes and short and messy deep purple hair.

The crowd went wild, cheering loudly for the man, who didn't seem to care for the attention.

"And on the other side," the announcer continued, "fighting for the East, a familiar face returns to our Arena! Welcome back the Lightning Mercenary, the Silver Dragon, ROY!"

Ryoko, with her mage's cloak on, slowly entered the arena, maintaining eye contact with her opponent, a wild smile on her face the only thing giving out her excitement as she was greeted by the cheering crowd.

"It appears we both have quite the fanbase." Levi commented.

Ryoko shrugged. "That's the thing with the Arena. We come here to have fun in our own way, they come to watch the show."

In a moment of silence, a whole conversation and an agreement passed between the two opponents.

"What do you say we make this fun?" Levi suggested.

Ryoko's smile widened. "An exhibition match?"

The man's nod was the only confirmation she needed.

"Loser has to buy a drink for the winner at the next possible opportunity?"

"Fine by me."

With a final smirk, both Ryoko and Levi discarded their cloaks, though Ryoko kept her scarf on.

Then they simultaneously drew their blades with a flourish, making elaborate twirls before settling into their stances in a show of skill.

"Let the fight…" the announcer declared, "…BEGIN!"

.

Levi rushed at his opponent at the same time he did, meeting the charge unflinchingly.

They both jumped forward and slashed with their swords, meeting midair.

Roy angled his body a moment later and jumped back to the side, while Levi landed close to the middle.

He smirked. Well, his opponent was clearly interesting to be able to meet his attack evenly even with his heightened strength.

He jumped back further from Roy to size up the opposition.

He remembered Roy. He had seen his final match, and the boy had been a beast with the sword, easily besting the skilled Lon'qu.

He'd have to play it safe and stick to his strengths, then.

The two men circled one another warily but at a quick pace, ready to attack or defend at a moment's notice. Or do both.

Roy charged again, but this time Levi didn't meet the attack.

He shot a barrage of weak dark magic bolts in an attempt to slow him down.

The blue-haired man stopped abruptly, using his momentum to spin on his feet and dissolve one of the bolts with his sword.

With a twirl, the man swiftly and efficiently dissolved all the bolts Levi sent his way, and the sword appeared to glow faintly.

A particularly large bolt headed straight for Roy.

The green-eyed man spun on his feet with a roar, slashing downward, the spell dissolved.

The sword hit the ground, and Levi had to pause his casting as an arc of electricity headed towards him, released from his opponent's sword.

Levi shot a brief barrage of different spells as he charged, and Roy merely stayed in his spot, dissolving spells with his blade until Levi was close enough.

He then turned to face him and locked blades with him, pushing back with equal strength, if not more.

Levi's eyes briefly went to the man's sword, noting a very familiar design on the material, which appeared to be some kind of shiny bone.

Their eyes met.

Determinate green against calm and firm red.

Forest and fire.

…Woman and man.

Levi realized, 'Roy' was a woman.

Green flickered to purple, and she jumped back.

For a moment, the ready position assumed by Roy, half-crouched as she was, reminded him of a Dragon ready to pounce. She was only missing the flaring wings and the swishing tail, but then again he doubted she wanted the Grimeal on her ass, either.

Levi held his blade in a reverse grip and waited.

Roy jumped forward.

He moved to the side, batting the woman's stab away from him.

She turned to swipe at his feet.

He jumped, backflipping in the air and shooting a red spell.

There was an explosion, and Levi landed smoothly.

He was forced to move to the side as a blade of wind nearly took off his arm.

The flames of the explosion dissolved, revealing Roy surrounded by a shield of silvery light, which dispersed a moment later.

They charged at each other once more, trading blows and spells at inhuman speeds.

Finally, Roy was hit by a minor tripping hex, and fell forward.

Before Levi could do anything about it, the woman was rolling towards him.

He jumped out of the way barely in time and counterattacked.

She parried it.

He growled in frustration.

She smirked faintly, and moved out of his sword range, shooting a number of weak thunder spells with amazing speed, dancing out of the way of his own attacks.

It was very clear that they were getting nowhere like this, so Levi decided to up the level a little.

He started mixing in Flux and Wind spells.

Roy replied in kind, adding Thunder and Fire to her assault.

She suddenly jumped forward, weaving through the spells with ease, and Levi barely managed to block the blow.

Their swords were locked into a struggle for dominance again.

"This isn't going anywhere." He hissed irritably, even though he was enjoying himself immensely.

"I know." The woman grumbled. "Wanna give it all into one last spell?"

He nodded subtly. "Your funeral."

The woman merely smiled secretly.

They both jumped back to opposite ends of the arena, but not too far away.

Roy closed her eyes for a second in concentration.

Levi sighed to himself and gathered his magic.

She held her blade horizontally in front of her, " **Blazing darkness,…** "

He placed his sword vertically, pointing up, " _ **Rise, flames of the dark,…**_ "

" **…gather the fury of the Skies…** "

" _ **…lay waste on the living and damned alike!…**_ "

" **…for the storm to cleanse these fields!…** "

" _ **…Let them tremble in fear of my name,…**_ "

" **…Obscure the day with your power!** "

" _ **…for I am the Abyss's Gaze!**_ "

" **ECLIPSE STORM!** "

" _ **HELLFIRE TEMPEST!**_ "

The two spells were cast simultaneously, and the two Blade-Mages could do nothing but brace for the inevitable explosion.

Roy's black and silver lighting storm advanced relentlessly, striking at the ground as it moved forward.

Levi's black and purple flames rushed forward without pause, appearing to roar in a twisted challenge to survive them.

The two spells collided with a massive explosion, and Levi was thrown back into the wall.

Dazedly, he cursed his luck.

He could barely move.

It felt like hours before his struggles were stopped by the tip of a silver blade pointing at his neck.

Following it upward with his eyes, Levi saw Roy, heavily burned and clothes singed, bleeding from the backlash and likely struggling to stay conscious let alone upright, standing with a proud look in her eyes.

"Good fight." She said softly, swaying, "It's been a while since I've had a challenge."

"It's been an honor fighting you." He managed to say.

"Likewise." She replied.

"You look like shit." He snarked.

Finally, the dust settled enough that they could see the rest of the arena.

"AND THE WINNER IS…" the commentator bellowed, "…ROY!"

Roy swayed dazedly as she lowered her sword, which fell to the ground a moment later as the green-eyed woman fell on top of him.

Moments later, Levi gave in to unconsciousness as well.

* * *

 **This one was _tough_. I had about 1100 words plus Ryoko and Levi's battle, so I had to make the rest from scratch and rewrite a lot of it to make it fit the 'official' storyline. And by official I mean what I'm publishing here, btw.**

 **Now, notes!**

 **No, the being has no idea that Ryoko is female. He's seeing her from a distance, and it's the first time he sees her clearly. Ryoko choosing to use her old pseudonym only reinforces the assumption that she's male.**

 **Speaking of that, she's using 'Roy' because if she didn't, the guys who make the matchups would annoy her about it and she doesn't want to deal with it. That, and in the arenas she's known by that name so she also uses it to avoid bringing old enemies down on the Shepherds.**

 **Next, the time limits. The Khan's Tournament takes place in the morning, and even then they wouldn't want it to drag on forever. So I figured that ten minutes or so of battle were more than enough to be able to get a winner and still avoid too much deaths. Mages, being high-magic, high-resistance long-ranged units get a bit more time. And since I imagine that earning the class title of Blade-Mage requires training one's ass off and their stats would be higher than average for their level, they get the highest time limit. Ryoko and Levi's battle lasted around ten-thirteen minutes alone, and that's because of their final spells making too much damage to continue.**

 **About Daraen's Valflame... It cost a lot, and he used the incantation for it. The point was to freak Lukas out enough to make him fall for his trap. It's also a side-effect of training with Ryoko, who is completely overpowered compared to the rest when she's at full strength. With time, that gap will close and everyone will be absurdly overpowered.**

 **The Dragon Vein thing was another last-minute addition inspired by Fates. I just used the concept and changed it to suit my needs. The references to the First Dragons are so minimal because I still have to finish the three paths, so I don't want spoilers just yet. If I make a sequel, I'll keep canon lore as much as possible.**

 **Finally, the last two spells. They're entirely original. At least, I think so. Sorry if I accidentally copied anyone. And yes, Levi's bold-italics when casting was on purpose. Not that I'll say why. You'll have to find out later!**

 **I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and I'll see you all next week!**


	13. Two Falchions

**Hello, dear readers! This chapter is the final battle of the tournament and what happens later.**

 **I don't know if I mentioned this last chapter (I don't think I did), but about Levi's title and the three descendants of the Dragon God of Earth: Lorene is a small OC village way up north of Ferox, where some Dragons live in hiding, and Levi was its main protector, hence the title of 'Dragon of Lorene'. Lorenne was named after this village by her mother, who minstranslated the name and put in the double.**

 **The actual reason for it is that I didn't notice it until I almost published the last chapter, and by then I already had Lorenne as a character with ties to the plot. So that little piece of backstory was born.**

The conversation at the end of the chapter between Levi and Ryoko contains some mentions of attempted suicide for character developement reasons.

 **By the way, I'm participating in Camp NaNoWriMo this month. I'll still prioritize this story, but the updates might come out a different day for whatever reason. The updates will still be weekly, but which day of the week may vary depending on how things are going.**

 **Well, enough rambling! Here's your new chapter!**

 **Please, review!**

* * *

 _ **Fire Emblem: Dragon's Claw**_

 **~ Chapter 11 ~**

 **Two Falchions**

Ryoko opened her eyes to an unfamiliar ceiling.

She felt the familiar dizziness of magical exhaustion, even if it wasn't as bad as she thought it would be.

The pain of both fire burns and electric burns, coupled with the tiring battle, the minor injuries, the explosion and being knocked into a wall almost made her cry out.

Instead, she grit her teeth and used her Shadowgift for the first time in a while, sinking into the mind-numbing dark magic of her secondary affinity.

From there, she tried to analyze the situation.

The last thing she remembered clearly was casting the strongest spell she knew, the Eclipse Storm, at the same time as her opponent cast his, Hellfire Tempest, if she remembered correctly.

Then there was an explosion as the two spells collided and pain, being thrown backwards, and more pain.

She remembered that her only thought had been cursing and raising a shield as fast as she could, and it likely saved her life.

She really couldn't remember what happened next.

 _ **You forced yourself to stand up, walk to the other side of the arena where the Levi guy was and pointed your sword at his neck until the dust settled.**_ Grima told her, sounding impressed.

 _ **You won, by the way.**_ He added, almost as an afterthought. _**Congrats, brat.**_

 _'Thanks, jerk.'_ She replied cheekily.

Content with the knowledge, Ryoko started channeling her still low reserves through her injuries to speed up the healing process enough that she would manage to see the next match.

.

"And for the final match, the event that will decide the ruler of Ferox for the next few years, the battle of the champions!" the announcer said excitedly.

"Representing the West-Khan Basilio, the mysterious masked man, Marth!"

The man in question confidently strolled into the arena, waiting.

"Representing the East-Khan Flavia, the prince of Ylisse, Chrom!"

Chrom pushed down whatever anxiousness he might have felt and entered the arena with as much confidence as he could, his hand on Falchion's hilt.

"Marth!" he said, "One question, before we begin?"

The other man was silent.

"Fine, then." Chrom declared. "Our swords can speak for us!"

"Let the fight…" the announcer shouted, "…BEGIN!"

Chrom and Marth drew their swords.

He gasped when he noticed the sword his opponent wielded.

"Where did you get that?" he asked quietly, "There's no way…"

Indeed, Marth was wielding an exact copy of Falchion.

Seeing he wasn't going to get any answers, Chrom ran forward.

He jumped, spinning as he fell back down for extra force.

Marth blocked the blow with a grunt and counterattacked.

The pair traded blows for a few moments, and Chrom found himself being pushed back a little by a fighting style that mirrored his own.

He managed to regain his footing and stopped his opponent's advance.

"Tell me," he demanded, deflecting a few blows, "who taught you to fight like that?"

They struggled for dominance for a second before both jumped back and settled into their fighting stances, once again identical.

They shot forward with a wordless cry, their swords clanging loudly.

Chrom skidded to a halt and turned in time to see Marth attacking him from above.

"My father!" the man shouted as Chrom jumped to the side.

The blue-haired prince glared at his opponent seriously, ready to trade blows again.

It was clear that he had a lesser chance to win if he stuck to his current fighting style. The other man knew it as well as he did, and it would all come down to who made the first mistake.

Luckily for him, fighting besides a clearly annoyed Ryoko had forced him to add a couple of new moves to his style. He just needed to find the right moment….

.

"Are you awake yet?" someone asked.

Ryoko hummed noncommittally, still focusing on speeding up her healing.

The battle had already started, damn it!

Finally, she felt the pain of her injuries subside to more tolerable levels.

The green-eyed Dragon waited impatiently until only Levi's signature remained in the immediate surroundings and slid out of bed, barely keeping herself from falling to the floor.

As it was, she hissed quietly in pain and stumbled out of the infirmary.

She would come back later, right now she needed to go and cheer on Chrom.

After all, she promised that she would be able to see him fight, and she always kept her promises.

.

Chrom was not fighting at his best.

Ryoko had gotten badly injured in the backlash of the final spell in her fight, and she still hadn't come up again.

He was getting worried.

The woman didn't seem the type to forget her own promises, so that she was still in the infirmary didn't bode too well for her.

He was keeping half an eye to the stands where the Shepherds were gathered, hoping that the stubborn Dragon would show up.

He parried a few blows from Marth's sword and counterattacked.

The man danced out of the way.

He lunged at him.

The man barely had the time to avoid the attack and had to knock Falchion aside.

He needed to focus. Ylisse was counting on his win.

Chrom easily avoided the following counterattack.

The Shepherds were shouting encouragements at him.

"Kick his ass, Chrom!" a voice rose above the rest.

Both Chrom and Marth looked at the speaker.

Sure enough, even though her scarf was singed and her clothes mostly burned, Ryoko stood proudly at the front of the group, holding her arm and leaning on Sully.

With a faint smile, Chrom charged at Marth, fighting with renewed vigor.

Marth recovered a second too late and barely had the time to rise his sword to parry his blow.

The man stumbled back.

Chrom took his chance, pressing the assault.

Marth was slowly being driven backwards.

He noticed a small hole in Marth's guard.

There was what he was waiting for!

He dashed forwards, getting into his opponent's guard in the nick of time.

He held Falchion in a reverse grip and lashed out with the hilt, forcing Marth to dodge or get hit.

The man jumped back, giving Chrom an opening he could exploit.

With a battle cry, he charged forward and swung his sword as hard as he could.

Marth tried to block hastily.

A loud clang echoed in the arena.

One of the two Falchions buried itself in the ground not far from them.

There was a stunned silence as Chrom stood, his sword at Marth's throat, who had his hands raised in admittance of defeat.

"Impressive…" the man said with a faint smile, "If not surprising…."

"And the winner of this battle is Prince Chrom!" the announcer declared. "With three rather impressive wins against two, the East wins this tournament!"

Everyone who was rooting for Flavia's champions cheered loudly.

.

A less than amused Ryoko had been dragged back to the infirmary moments later, and Chrom had been pulled aside by Flavia while everyone else went to celebrate.

"Well fought!" the woman complimented, "You have my respect. And, perhaps more to the point, you have your alliance. I will provide Ylisse with the soldiers she needs."

"Truly? Thank you, East-Khan." Chrom said, grateful.

"I should thank you!" Flavia replied cheerfully, "It feels like ages since I've held full power."

She turned and left, shouting at some passing Feroxi, "Come, my new friends! Tonight, we celebrate!"

"Bah! Any excuse for a party and Flavia jumps on it…" a large and muscled dark-skinned man with an eyepatch grouched.

"I'm sorry, have we met?" Chrom asked confusedly. He felt familiar.

"I'm the West-Khan you so rudely removed from power!" the man replied, "You're handy with a sword, boy. I thought for sure I'd picked the stronger man."

Oh, so this was the 'oaf' Ryoko kept mentioning when speaking of her past adventures in Ferox, Basilio, if he remembered correctly.

"What do you know about him?" Chrom inquired, hoping to find out more about the mysterious man.

"You mean that 'Marth'?" the West-Khan scoffed, "Bah! He's just some sellsword with delusions of grandeur. All I know is that he turned up one eve and knocked my old champion flat. It was love at first sight, and I'm generally too old for such things! Baha! Anyway, he's gone now. Up and fled the moment the tournament ended."

"He's so dark and mysterious…." Lissa sighed.

"Sounds like Marth's got at least one fan…." Daraen quipped.

Lissa pouted. "Well, I mean, c'mon… He _is_ sort of dreamy, isn't he?"

"And _you_ 're sort of dreaming!" Chrom snapped back.

"Yowch!" Lissa said, "Lighten up, Big Brother. I was just kidding."

Chrom simply glared at his sister.

"Milord? Milady?" Frederick interrupted before the discussion could degenerate, "If this fascinating discussion is over, we'd best retrieve Ryoko from the infirmary and return home. The Exalt will want this news of our new alliance immediately."

The blue-haired prince nodded. "Right as always, Frederick."

"Hold, boy." Basilio told him, "Before you go, I have a little present for you."

A man with black hair wearing a blue Myrmidon uniform with a red belt came in, not saying a word.

"This is Lon'qu, my former champion." Basilio introduced, "Not much for talking, mind you, but he's peerless with a sword. As good as Marth, in my mind. To be honest, I can't figure out how Marth bested him so quickly."

"Marth beat him? But he looks so big and strong…." Lissa asked incredulously as she approached the Myrmidon.

Lon'qu quickly moved backwards. "Away, woman!"

Lissa cried out indignantly, "Hey! Wh-what did I say?!"

Basilio laughed loudly, "Let's just say that ladies tend to put Lon'qu on edge. Nonetheless, he is capable. Perhaps he even has the makings of a Khan. Consider him West Ferox's contribution to the Ylissean cause."

"You're certain about this?" Chrom inquired.

The West-Khan waved him off. "Yes, yes. He's your man now."

The blue-haired prince turned to Lon'qu. "And Lon'qu? You have no objections?"

The man in question gave him a blank stare. "He gives orders. I stab people. I think our roles are clear."

Chrom hesitated for a moment. "…All right then. Welcome aboard."

If he wasn't so averse to women, he would get along perfectly well with Ryoko. As it was, she was more likely to chase him around camp demanding for a spar while the man ran away. But who knew with the Dragon, she might just register as a man to him. She was strange like that.

.

Levi watched the irate woman as she was being lectured by the healers on not going around injured even if she made a promise.

They certainly had never seen how seriously Dragons took their promises, which the woman certainly was with her pointed ears and the fact that she had the Sky-Eyes.

The healers finally let her be and left.

"So… what's your name?" he asked. "I'm certain that Roy is just a pseudonym so that people don't annoy you about your gender as well as your height."

The woman raised an eyebrow in question. "Ryoko. Lightning. You?"

"Ryoko, uh…?" he murmured. "I'm Levi, Shadow Dragon of the Grimm clan, which is a terrible name, by the way."

Ryoko hummed. "Where's my belt?"

Levi pointed to the corner of Ryoko's bed, who promptly picked it up and dug into it until she found one of the Concoctions Stahl had recommended her, downing it in one go and grimacing at the taste.

Still, it did its job, as most of the burns faded.

She threw a second one to him.

He drunk it and he couldn't quite suppress a shudder at the terrible taste.

"This is ridiculous." He grouched. "We're Dragons, and yet we're stuck here with _burns_ of all things. By the way, have you earned any scales yet?"

Ryoko shot him a look that clearly said that she thought he was retarded.

"Do you really think that I can hold the Seal and spam Dragonskin at the same time whenever it's worth using it?" she asked irritably.

The purple-haired Dragon shrugged. "I earned them by mastering the Transformations, not spamming that overpowered ability. It's amazing you still have access to it despite its ridiculous cost, really."

The blue-haired Dragon shrugged. "Not my problem you're a pansy. I tend to get physical in my fights, so I used it. End of story."

The pair was silent for a moment.

"Do you have a deck of cards in there?" Levi asked.

Ryoko raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, why?"

"Wanna play poker?" he suggested.

She rolled her eyes, "We got nothing better to do."

So they started a game of poker to pass the time, and since they had nothing to bet with, they decided that who won got to ask a question of the loser.

"Damnit." Levi muttered. "I missed that one by a single card."

Ryoko smirked. "Why were you fighting for Basilio?"

He shrugged. "I owed him a favor and he called it in saying he wanted to trounce Flavia five-zero in his favor. I put myself as Blade-Mage hoping there was someone who could give me a decent fight, and here we are."

He got a small smile from the woman.

She lost the next hand.

"I told you why I was fighting for the West, so this is only fair: why were you on Flavia's side?"

"Chrom needed her in power to get the alliance with Ferox, and I'm one of the strongest among the Shepherds… I think. Even then, I owed Flavia, so even if I had just been passing through I would have been roped into this by that irritating woman."

Ryoko lost again. "Damn."

"Where's your Seal?"

As a reply, she merely took off her shirt, revealing the massive tattoo-like mark traveling up her whole right arm and part of her shoulder.

On her body there were burn marks and scars, both old and new, while on her left arm there was a multitude of smaller Dragon tattoos. The most impressive of which was a rather small and intricate Dragon Knot.

Levi let out a low whistle in appreciation. "Wow, I really don't want to be you if you ever go to Plegia. Hiding that from the damned Grimeal has got to be a chore and a half."

She put on the shirt again.

"It is." Ryoko replied dryly. "Behold my amazing powers of hiding stuff, 'cause they haven't seen this since I got it."

Levi laughed. "They still came down on your ass, though."

"Well, they come down on _yours_." She shot back.

"True." He admitted. "Do you have any suggestions on where I could find a decent job? I'm out of gold."

Chrom chose that exact moment to come in.

"You could join the Shepherds." He suggested, "Someone with your skill is certainly appreciated."

Levi thought about the offer.

He would get a stable job, some gold to spend and, most importantly, he would stay in close contact with one of the last Dragons alive who still had some common sense. Plus, said Dragon also had a very interesting sword, and he wasn't talking about the one that came from an Anna.

"Hell yes, I'm in!"

.

Unfortunately for the pair, the healers insisted they stay another day.

So, with all the maturity of ten-year-olds that were told to stay inside, Ryoko and Levi sneaked out of the infirmary to take a nightly stroll.

They would have flown, but transforming, even partially, while exhausted would only end up driving them mad before old age could.

They were currently in the tallest spot they could find, back to their usual outfits.

For Levi that was a light blue short-sleeved tunic and a pair of pants. Normally he also had a mage's cloak, but he shamelessly admitted to losing it in a bar after a fight escalated a little too much.

They brought their cards and resumed their poker game from earlier.

And, since they forgot to bring something to bet with, they used the same rules as before.

Levi won. "Why do you owe Flavia?"

Ryoko groaned in exasperation. "Nobody's gonna answer that one. Oh, there'll be mentions, if only to annoy me, but Flavia made it clear that this ain't gonna be brought up. Ever. Just know that you shouldn't make bets with Loki."

The purple-haired man raised an eyebrow, but let it go. A pissed off Flavia was something nobody wanted to bring down on themselves.

He smiled smugly, only to end up losing. "Are you Reaghan's?"

"Wh-What?" Levi sputtered in surprise.

She gave him a blank stare. "Are. You. Reaghan's. Brat." She repeated slowly, as if he were a retarded child.

Grima cackled loudly in her mind, and Ryoko stifled laughter at the put out expression on his face.

"Y-Yeah?" he replied, confused. "How'd you know?"

"You keep staring at the [Dragon Vein] in the left tower." Ryoko replied cheerily, "It's a healing one."

"You can _tell_?" he shrieked.

She shushed him with a stinging spell. "Quiet, you idiot. Do you want us to get caught?"

"Sorry." He looked at his cards. "Two pairs."

"Damn. I got nothing."

 _ **You normally don't suck this much at poker.**_ Grima commented idly, _**Do you like this guy or something?**_

Ryoko stubbornly suppressed a blush. _'No. Shut up.'_

 _ **You**_ **do** _ **like him!**_ Grima exclaimed, _**Ryoko and Levi, sitting in a tree**_ **~!**

 _'Grima, shut up!'_

 _ **K-I-S—**_

 _'I do not—'_

"Why did you try to suicide?" Levi asked.

Ryoko paled.

 _ **WHAT!? How did I not hear about this?**_ Grima demanded.

Her breathing quickened, and she searched for a way to escape.

Levi was quick to pull her into a hug, making sure that she could not leave no matter how much she struggled, but also that she wasn't hurt.

They stayed there for a while before Ryoko calmed down enough. Levi had started humming a song, one she recognized vaguely.

"Why should I tell you?" she muttered, "I don't know you."

Levi stopped humming. "Because I understand. I tried, too."

They spent a few seconds in uncomfortable silence.

"I tell, you tell." Ryoko said, "And we don't bring this up ever again."

"Alright." Levi agreed.

"No. I want a Dragon's promise that this stays between us." Ryoko demanded, "If you want to go and spread your experience to the four winds, I don't care, but I want your word that my story will stay secret unless I'm ready."

Levi loosened his grip on her enough that they could stare at each other's eyes.

"I swear I will keep your secret." Levi said seriously.

Ryoko sighed. "Then I swear I will keep your secret, too."

Levi stared at her expectantly.

She stared back.

"I… I can hear Grima." She revealed, "Through the Seal. Since I was eleven. That's when Father died. We were in Bren. Nice village, we've been living there for two years. Then the village was attacked by the Brezik Bandits. I summoned Fyr, to find Father…. And I found him with five or six others, fighting."

She choked a little on her words, "I tried to help. I swear, I only wanted to help."

"I believe you." Levi reassured her. "It's not your fault."

"Yes it was!" Ryoko protested, " _I_ got myself captured! It's my fault!"

"No it's not." He told her stubbornly. "Whatever happened, it was not your fault. If anyone's to blame, it's those pieces of shit that are the bandits."

 _ **I'm with him.**_ Grima agreed, _**You're not at fault.**_

Ryoko nodded shakily. "They threatened to kill me. Father revealed the Seal and exchanged himself for me and the others' lives. The Grimeal bastards agreed, of course. They used those chains that they use on Wyverns to chain him and dragged him away. And then burned down Bren. Shade got me out of there in time, but the others…."

She shuddered. "I found Father two days later, badly beaten and still in chains, about to be executed. They freed him for it, I think they wanted to torture him or something before doing it. He killed himself with Drexion and threw it at me. The Seal overwhelmed me."

"You went on a rampage." Levi concluded, "Killed them all. Then you were exhausted, confused and alone."

Ryoko nodded. "Yeah. I'm pretty sure I went Dragon as well. Grima has been an asshole my whole life, until a few weeks ago. That's when _this_ happened."

She waved her hand vaguely at the sword on her belt.

"Anyways, since he was still an asshole, he laughed and mocked me for being weak and crying. He said some pretty hurtful things."

"You were _eleven_." Levi stated, "I'd be worrying if you _didn't_ break down."

She nodded again. "I took the knife and almost slit my own throat." She traced the scar idly, "But I couldn't just give up on life and start the end of the world, so I used the cut to create a grave for Father, healed it and left."

Levi pulled her closer, and she pouted. "I'm not a kid…."

"You're comfy." He pouted. "And warm."

Ryoko huffed quietly, "Then you'll be my damn pillow. And shut up you."

Levi raised an eyebrow.

"Grima's being annoying and teasing me for reasons unknown." She explained, "I swear he's bipolar or something, 'cause three seconds ago he just _wouldn't quit apologizing_."

Levi laughed a little, but calmed quickly. "My father was an asshole."

Ryoko hummed curiously, but decided to let him speak on his own.

"He had certain expectations of how a son of his should be, and demanded I meet them at every turn." He said, "My hair had to be a certain length, I had to walk and speak a certain way, and Skies forbid I ever forgot to hide my red eyes. He hated me just because I was born with the traits of our common ancestor, rather than being proud because I could have been a possible successor, after all this time.

"That kind of things has an effect on a seven-years-old kid, especially one as outspoken as me. I jumped five times from five different places, without bringing out my wings. Twice, a healer caught me with a Rescue staff. Twice, my father caught me. It wasn't pleasant."

He was silent for a bit.

"And the last time?" Ryoko prompted.

"The last time, I transformed into a Dragon and tasted true freedom. I ran away with a merchant caravan and never looked back."

They fell in comfortable silence for a few moments.

Levi started humming again, and Ryoko recognized the song.

"You are an ocean of waves , weaving a dream, like thoughts become a river stream…"

"Yet may the tide ever change, flowing like time, to the path, yours to climb. "

* * *

 **Well, that was it!**

 **Now, chapter notes!**

 **Yes, Ryoko is _that_ stubborn to keep her promise. It's mentioned a couple of times, but Dragons rarely break their promises. They don't make promises lightly, either. That she waited so long to go see Chrom's fight is actually a bit unusual, since most would have gone immediately, damn their injuries and everything else.**

 **And, yes, Ryoko would totally chase Lon'qu around camp just for the entertainement value.**

 **Ryoko's 'amazing powers of hiding stuff' consisted in being in Valm with a long-sleeved shirt and gloves for most of the time. Not that impressive. Also the Dragon Knot is supposed to be a Celtic Knot, but since there are no Celts in this universe...**

 **The bit about transforming driving Ryoko and Levi mad is a reference to dragons and manaketes losing themselves to their instinct. It's a real threat, especially for Dragons, but their human blood counteracts the effect a bit, so long as they don't overdo it.**

 **Grima is still an asshole, and this is not the last time he'll annoy Ryoko by teasing her about Levi. He ships them together, by the way. He thinks they're cute.**

 **The 'running away with a merchant caravan' is the equivalent of running away with the circus. Considering the state of the land at the time (remember, the war with Plegia was still going on), I don't think that many performers would stray too far from an area, so I thought a merchant caravan was more appropriate, since I doubt that the military would have taken it well if he tried to enlist so young.**

 **Finally, the song at the end are the lyrics for LeeandLie's cover of 'Lost in Thoughts, All Alone' on youtube. I don't own it. This version of the song will be the one known by Dragonkin in this side of the world. If I expand this story to Fates, they will use the official English version of the song there.**


	14. Trouble Brewing

**Well, here we are. Another week, another chapter.**

 **Keep in mind that I am in no way responsible for Gangrel and his aide's mounths. Ryoko's replies, however, are entirely my fault and I enjoyed every single one of those.**

 **Also, not that anyone cares about this, I ended up 25th out of 30 in the Italian nationals for Solo Dance. Yay me! Here's some cookies to celebrate! (::)** **(::)** **(::)**

 **Please let me know what you think of the story in a review.**

* * *

 _ **Fire Emblem: Dragon's Claw**_

 **~ Chapter 12 ~**

 **Trouble Brewing**

"…Then Regna Ferox will support Ylisse?" Emmeryn asked, and her brother nodded in confirmation. "Thank you, Chrom. I knew sending you was the right choice."

"You should see Ferox's warriors!" Chrom told her happily, "Perhaps now our people will be safe from—"

"Your Grace!" Phila shouted as she burst into the room, panicking slightly.

She paused when she saw Chrom. "M-milord! Forgive me, but I bring alarming news!"

"Phila! Slow down, please! What's happened?" Emmeryn tried to calm the woman.

"Plegian soldiers have been sighted inside our southwest border!" the leader of the Pegasus Knights reported urgently. "They attacked a village in Themis and abducted the duke's daughter."

"B-but that would be…" Lissa trailed off, her eyes widening in realization, "…Maribelle! Chrom, we have to do something!"

"There's more." Phila continued gravely. "King Gangrel of Plegia claims Lady Maribelle invaded _his_ country. He demands we pay reparations for this 'insult'."

"And we're to believe a dastard like the Mad King of Plegia?" Chrom asked hotly.

Emmeryn sighed and tried to reason with her brother, "Peace, Chrom. We must keep our wits about us."

"We should put a sword in his gut and be done with it!" the blue-haired man snapped back, "The Mad King has been trying to provoke war with Ylisse at every step! He won't stop until he drags this whole continent to hell with him!"

He was right, of course.

However, Emmeryn wouldn't let the events that led to her becoming the Exalt happen again. That loss of life was unacceptable to her.

So she would negotiate.

"I agree with the prince, Your Grace." Phila said, "We must demonstrate to Plegia that such actions have consequences."

"I understand your feelings, Chrom." Emmeryn told her brother, "Truly, I do. But if we give him the war he wants, then we lose, no matter what the outcome. Our last conflict nearly ruined the halidom. It left Ylisseans homeless and starving. We cannot repeat that mistake. I will offer parley with King Gangrel."

"Emm, no! You can't!" Lissa protested.

Phila frowned, "Please reconsider, Your Grace. He cannot be trusted to act in good faith!"

"So either we choose to march to war or leave Lady Maribelle to die?" Emmeryn snapped lightly. She shook her head. "No. I will not accept that."

Phila looked ashamed that she had even implied such a thing. "…Forgive me, Your Grace. I spoke out of turn. I know you will stand always by your own principles. Pray, allow the Pegasus Knights to accompany you, though."

"I'm going too." Chrom declared. "Someone has to save you from your good intentions."

"And I want to be there for you _and_ Maribelle!" Lissa added.

Emmeryn smiled. "As you wish. Thank you all. Your strength will be mine."

.

"Well then?" Chrom asked, "Is everyone ready to go? It's a long march to the Plegian border."

All the Shepherds, including the still lightly injured Ryoko and Levi, were there, fully packed.

"We're both ready!" Ryoko declared, itching to have a few… _words_ … with the Plegian King and his aide.

Beside her, Levi nodded eagerly.

"Captain! I'm all packed!" Ricken said, "when do we leave?"

Chrom sighed, thinking he should have anticipated this.

What was he doing, thinking that two mercenaries with a beef to pick with the Mad King and a boy eager to prove himself wouldn't insist to come, even if they were either still recovering or too young?

"Ryoko, Levi, you two are still injured from your fight at the arena." He told them, forcing himself not to sound too exasperated. "And, Ricken, you're not old enough for this mission. Go back inside, all three of you."

"But, Captain!" Ricken protested, "You know my skill with magic! You know I can handle myself!"

"I'm fine, Chrom!" Ryoko pouted, "I have almost full reserves again!"

"These are just scratches." Levi said, "And my magic will undoubtedly come useful in your mission."

"I'd feel safer with your magic here, protecting the garrison." Chrom stated firmly. "Alright, we're off. You three be good."

With that, Chrom and everyone else left, leaving the three stunned into silence.

It was Levi who found his words first.

"…Be… good…?" he repeated to himself, "What does he think we are, twelve?"

"…There's a whole bunch of mages here who could just overpower everyone with sheer numbers." Ryoko grumbled, "Not to mention the other divisions."

Ricken nodded, agreeing with both of them. "Well, we'll show him how good we are!"

Ryoko smiled at that. "Well spoken, brat. I'll go get Kamui."

"Will we be mounting our own rescue team?" Levi guessed.

"Yup!" the blue-haired Dragon confirmed. "While they distract the enemy for us with pretty little words and threats and negotiations, we'll sneak in and steal back our hostage!"

"Of course, we'll have to give them a bit of head start so that no one will suspect anything." She added deviously.

"It sounds like a good idea." Ricken said. "But I'm coming, too."

Ryoko smirked, "You're the one who will have to rescue Mariaberu." She explained with a small sigh, "Me and Levi are a bit… overpowered, so there's a really good chance that Gangrel will sense us if we get too close. You on the other hand…."

Ricken understood what she meant and smiled happily.

.

Ryoko was a mystery.

A beautiful, impossible mystery made out of numerous contradictions, incredible power and a touch of insanity.

So, for the sake as exposition as he was a newly introduced character and all that rot, Levi mulled over the mystery that was the blue-haired Dragon.

Really, though, the woman intrigued him.

She had from the moment he saw her scarf, the signature orange and black that were the colors worn by the Seal and his immediate family within the Ravenfall clan.

For now she was reluctant to part with it, seeing as she was safely within Ylissean borders, where the Grimeal rarely even attempted to do anything, so she had kept the scarf. Who knows, maybe she would say to hell with it all and keep wearing it no matter what.

Another thing that had caught his eye had been the blade she wielded.

He would recognize everywhere the blade, extremely sharp and almost ivory in color, the intricate crossguard with its three wing-shaped layers, the leather handle that had a subtle golden design that seemingly formed a 'tail'. There was no question that it was the Dragon's Claw, Drexion.

He knew the moment he saw it that the woman was the current Seal holder, and she had managed to do something nobody really thought possible until then, unlock the blade's true form.

He remembered its history, passed through his family for generations.

It was said that it belonged to Grima's youngest, long before he was sealed. It was said that his childhood friend led the Hero-King Marth to the insane Dragon at the secret request of his three children, who couldn't bear to see their father destroy the world, but couldn't bring themselves to harm him, either.

It was kept out of the stories for a reason, but Marth couldn't seal Grima, even with the Fang Naga gave him. It was then that the children intervened.

The oldest and middle children kept their father at bay as well as they could, but it wasn't enough.

It was then that the youngest child, surprising everyone, offered Marth a chance.

You see, the third child had many troubles with magic and fighting as a Dragon like Grima and the other children did. So Grima gave him one of his claws to use as a sword in defense of his family.

The very same claw that acted as a focus for Marth to seal Grima for real.

However, using the Claw had a very unforeseen repercussion. Because branded on his arm and shoulder was the symbol of his actions against his father.

The youngest child carried the physical manifestation of the Seal. Distraught, he sealed the Claw's true form, saying that it would be returned only when Grima and one of his descendants finally made peace.

Levi didn't really know what that meant back in the arena, but with the talk they had on the roof, it made sense.

Ryoko had somehow managed to reconcile Grima and the Ravenfall line, who were the descendants of his youngest child.

But there was more to the blue-haired Dragon that drew him to her than a title and a common ancestor really far down the line.

The woman was quiet and withdrawn, yet once you broke past that shell she was a funny, talkative prankster with a protective streak and an amazing storyteller.

She was a Summoner, yet she had little power to back it up and also held the Seal. She had two opposing gender-specific roles, had survived on the streets and evaded the damned Grimeal, yet she hadn't crumbled under the pressure.

Or rather, she got up, picked up the pieces and moved on.

And he knew she had lived on the streets or something close enough to it that it made no difference. The jaded look in her eyes, after all, was something he saw every single day in his reflection.

Ryoko was young and childish, but mature and experienced at the same time. She hated being hot, yet spent most of the day under the sun, hated being coped up inside yet stayed in the libraries as long as she could.

And she managed to catch Levi's interest, so he watched her from a distance.

Today was no different than any other day since he joined, even if they had to mount up a rescue.

"Are you _still_ following me?" Ryoko shouted without looking up from saddling Kamui.

Levi didn't say anything. He was too busy panicking internally.

Ryoko let out a very annoyed sigh. "That answers my question. Skies, it's like I have my own personal stalker with you."

The green-eyed woman had turned to face him, revealing that she was about to start tossing fireballs around in an attempt to fry the offender.

"…Sorry." Levi apologized.

Ryoko looked up and groaned. "Why me?"

Levi panicked silently, searching for a valid excuse as to why he had been basically stalking her in the past few days.

He had, after all, been following her around camp the entire trip back.

"Your blade." He told her, "I know of its legend, and you managed to unlock its true form. And I made a promise to protect the Seal Holder."

"Fine." Ryoko said, resigned. "As long as you don't follow me to the baths."

Did she think he was _insane_ and with a death wish?

The woman's smirk didn't bode well for him.

"But know that it means that you're my new sparring partner." She chirped happily.

Levi paled. She was almost as bad as Frederick when she bothered to train!

"I see…" he said. Then he regained his footing.

"Then I won't let you win!" he declared determinately.

"Yeah?" Ryoko challenged, "Bring it on!"

"Next chance we get, whatever serves as a training field?" He suggested.

The green-eyed woman nodded. "Sounds good enough to me."

She returned to getting Kamui ready, while Levi went off to tend to his own horse, Kana.

.

Ricken was having trouble staying still.

He was both anticipating and dreading their little rescue mission.

Ryoko and Levi had hammered out a plan of action, trying their best to include him but not really succeeding because of his inexperience.

He still appreciated the sentiment.

They didn't blame him for his inexperience, but instead tried to work a way around it and give him some experience as they went.

Levi had laughingly admitted that constantly hitting a still target like a training dummy would do wonders in learning the very basics… but it was otherwise mostly useless.

He had gone back to the barracks to lighten his pack a little, knowing they would need speed most of all, and that getting to the border in time even if half a day of travel behind the rest was the most important thing.

Ryoko had stressed that making sure that they could reach the border undetected was essential to saving Maribelle without giving everything away.

They would be watching out for potential interlopers or surprise attacks. They wouldn't be, however, on the look out for a young mage under a concealing enchantment and a pair of Dragons ready to intervene from a distance.

And that was were Ricken came in.

He would need to sneak past the border and into the enemy lines where Maribelle was, free her at the last possible moment or when everyone was distracted and hightail it out of there like Risen were on his tail.

It was simple. Levi said that the more complicated something was, the bigger the chance that the plan went bad.

It was also terrifying, because he would be mostly on his own while searching for Maribelle. Ryoko and Levi would be watching over him from the air, but there was no guarantee that they would get to him in time should he run into trouble. And he could only use his Wind and Elwind tomes and a pair of knives that the purple-haired man lent him.

They didn't want to draw attention to him with sudden loud noises and flashes of light.

"Are you alright, Ricken?" Ryoko asked, placing a hand on his shoulder.

Ricken smiled at her. "I-I think so."

Ryoko returned the smile. "If you need someone to talk to, I'm here. And I promise that I will listen."

The moment was ruined when Levi ruffled Ryoko's messy hair.

"Come on you brats, we need to get going." He said.

Ryoko batted angrily at his hand, but the man danced out of the way and climbed onto his horse, speeding away.

"Oh, no, you don't!" Ryoko shouted, "Come on, Ricken!"

She jumped on Kamui's back, helped him get behind her and followed after Levi, shouting threats of retribution.

They left without anyone realizing it until they didn't come back hours later at dinner.

By that time, they had almost caught up to Chrom and Emmeryn.

They would only need a few more hours come the morning.

.

"What's this, then?" Gangrel taunted, "The Exalt herself, in all her radiance? I fear I must shield my eyes!"

He burst into mad laughter.

"King Gangrel, I've come for the truth of this unfortunate incident between us." Emmeryn said patiently.

The King's aide, a white-haired woman on top of a large black Pegasus, scoffed. "The truth? I can give you the truth."

"Perhaps milady might first share her name?" Emmeryn inquired.

"You may call me Aversa." The Dark Flier told her.

"Very well, Aversa." Emmeryn said diplomatically. "Is Maribelle unharmed?"

"Who?" Gangrel asked, "Oh, the little blond brat."

Not far from them, so that she could be seen yet in a spot where somebody could still sneak in with enough effort, was Maribelle, hands tied and guarded by a small group of Gray Knives bandits.

"Unhand me, you gutter-born troglodyte!" The noble shouted indignantly.

From the skies, Ryoko grinned lightly before circling once more and leaving. They had found Maribelle, now they needed to wait until Ricken got to her and swoop in. She could easily Flash herself there, and Levi apparently had a similar method of transport that used shadows.

"Maribelle!" Lissa cried out, apparently having heard the noble's shouted insults.

After that, she couldn't hear much more.

Returning to human form, Ryoko Flashed herself to the ground, where Ricken and Levi were waiting.

She was quick to report the location to Ricken, who ran off to find her.

Levi transformed into Dragon Form, and Ryoko climbed on his back before he took off.

Now, all they could do was wait.

.

Ricken was quick to run off to find Maribelle.

The location Ryoko described was not as far as they feared, but somewhere in between King Gangrel's position and Chrom, Lissa and Lady Emmeryn.

The rest of the Shepherds were slightly behind the three while the Plegian, both soldiers and bandits, were scattered all around the area.

He would need to watch out for the Mad King and his aide Aversa, who were both higher up than him and Aversa was also a Dark Flier, rumored to be associated with the Grimeal cult and had been granted Shadowgift by them.

Under Ryoko's cloak, which had been laced with a ton of stealth enchantments and a green color-changing spell for this mission, Ricken hastily made his way to Maribelle.

"LIES!" He heard her shout. "You speak nothing but lies, hag! Did they not teach you the meaning of the word 'truth' in wretched-crone school?"

Ricken was somewhat relieved to hear her defiantly insult somebody like that. It meant that she was relatively alright. She was not dead, not at swordpoint, not slowly bleeding out on the ground or suffering under the Plegian bandits' 'care'.

He didn't hear Aversa's reply well enough, but he could guess that she was gloating about kidnapping his fellow Shepherd.

"Such a violent temper speaks for her guilt!" Gangrel shouted insanely.

And what does that say about you? He thought.

"This will call for a weighty punishment!" the Mad King declared loudly. "And if she were to later confess to being an Ylissean spy? My goodness! It would take an act of considerable good faith to repair our relations!"

"And I have done nothing wrong!" Maribelle protested. She was close enough that he could hear her clearly, "It is they who should confess! They are the ones who invaded Ylisse! They razed an entire village! When I attempted to intervene, they took me and dragged me across the border. Let the plundered shops and charred homes serve as my proof!"

"That would only prove that Ylisse has a bandit problem— something I hear oft of late…." Gangrel countered, "But indeed, tonight I shall weep salty tears into my pillow for your dead villagers."

Ricken barely restrained himself from growling. And _whose_ fault was that Ylisse was being plundered by bandits! There was no way so many of them would be Plegian bands without him sneaking them past the border! And not to speak of what was happening in the Feroxi border!

But he managed to remember the mission, that Ryoko and Maribelle and Levi were counting on him to rescue the only daughter of Duke Themis.

"Your Grace, please!" Maribelle pleaded.

"Peace, Maribelle," the Exalt reassured her. "I believe you."

She turned to address the Mad King. "King Gangrel, I request that you release this woman at once. Surely you and I can sort this out without the need for hostages."

"Without so much as an apology?" Gangrel demanded, "Why should I even bother with parley? I'm within my rights to have her head this moment and be home in time for supper."

"You black-hearted devil!" Chrom shouted angrily.

"Control your dog, my dear, before he gets someone hurt." Gangrel told the Exalt flippantly.

Chrom growled with barely restrained rage.

Ricken cursed silently. At this rate, he would end up needing to do something at the last possible second, where a single mistake could get both him and Maribelle killed.

"Now then, Your Graceliness." the Mad King continued, "Perhaps we can arrange a trade? Say… You give me the Fire Emblem and I return Mari Contrary here in one piece."

Ricken gasped quietly at this.

The Fire Emblem! Gangrel was demanding the Fire Emblem, which not only was a priceless treasure, but was meant to be used only to save the world.

Emmeryn was equally taken aback by this. "You would ask for Ylisse's royal treasure? But why?"

"Because I know the legend!" The man screamed. "The Fire Emblem is the key to having one's wishes realized. And I have desired it for years! YEARS!" he suddenly adopted a mournful demeanor. "…And yet my birthday comes and goes each year, and nothing from Ylisse." He giggled creepily.

"The Emblem's power is to be used for a single purpose, King Gangrel." Emmeryn scolded calmly, though it was clear that her patience was wearing thin as well, "And that purpose is to safe the world and its people at their hour of most desperate need. Would you claim a more noble wish?"

"I want what every Plegian wants, a grisly end for every last Ylissean." The madman replied petulantly, "What could be more noble than that?"

Ricken could almost hear Ryoko drawl '…stealing candy?'

She might have been somewhat distant and he might have known her for only a day and a half, but Ricken and Levi both had the pleasure of hearing her snark at someone who was being an idiot, and she had made easily known her views on mass genocide while ranting about the Grimeal: that stabbing a wounded, invalid child in the back for no reason was still better. And this came from a woman who hated anyone who harmed children.

"What?" Emmeryn exclaimed.

"Surely you have not forgotten what the last Exalt did to my people?" Gangrel screamed, "Your father named us heathens! His 'crusade' across Plegia butchered countless of my subjects and my kin!"

"I have never denied any of Ylisse's past wrongdoings." Emmeryn said, almost sternly, "But I have sworn to never repeat those mistakes. Ours is a realm of peace, now."

"Yours is now a heaven of hypocrisy!" the Mad King screeched, "Now give me the Fire Emblem!"

"No, Your Grace!" Maribelle protested, "I'd sooner die than act as a bargaining chip for this filthy reprobate!"

"No, Maribelle…" Emmeryn whispered.

Gangrel groaned theatrically. "Ugh… Taaaaaalk talk-talk-talk-talk. It's time to speak louder than words! This negotiation is over, Your Luminosity! I shall have the Fire Emblem even if I have to pry it from your shiny dead hands!"

Brigands ran towards Emmeryn, and Chrom moved to defend his sister, striking one of them with a swift stroke of his Falchion.

"Stay back!" He warned, "Or you will all suffer the same fate as him!"

Ricken charged his wind spell as Gangrel burst into a fit of mad laughter.

"Now that's a declaration of war if I've ever heard one!" He shouted, "A big, messy war that will bleed you Ylisseans dry!"

Aversa was about to strike down Marbelle, but Ricken intervened and shot the most powerful Wind spell he could manage, which incidentally was a weakened version of Rexcalibur.

"Maribelle, go!"

* * *

 **Gangrel and Aversa have no idea what hell they're about to bring down on themselves when they piss off the Dragons. You'll get the first taste in the next chapter, readers.**

 **Yes, Ryoko's shape-changing sword has a name. At the beginning it was simply the titular Dragon's Claw, but when I wrote the first draft I got the idea of it being Falchion's counterpart and wanted a similar name. I decided to somehow mix in the word 'dragon' as a tribute to the original idea and came up with Drexion. I ended up keeping both names in the story.**

 **Levi's stalking habits have a very interesting story. Originally, when I was still planning out the idea for Dragon's Claw, Ryoko was supposed to be somewhat of a Fem!Robin without the Grimeal heritage and tactical genious, but with much more skill and power. Levi was intended to be Ryoko's version of Tarja, only instead of freaked out, Ryoko would have challanged him. The story changed, but I kept that little tidbit of Levi stalking Ryoko out of curiosity about the Claw.**

 **Levi's horse, Kana, is named after another FE Fates character, Kamui/Corrin's kid according to the wiki. I don't know for sure, since I still haven't played that stage.**

 **The change in Ryoko's plans was fully intended. She tends to jump the gun unless someone or something forces her to think about it more throughly. Her first idea was to jump in and retake Maribelle. Then Levi not immediately following her made her think of an half-assed strategy. And he convinced her offscreen to make a better plan.**

 **Also, he deliberately pissed off Ryoko when they were about to leave, and Ryoko followed his lead when she noticed this moments later. Anyone who could have been watching thought that Ricken had just gotten caught up in the middle.**

 **And before anyone attacks me for Ryoko's thoughts on genocide, keep in mind that they are _her_ thoughts and not mine. Given her background of being one of the few survivors of her village, she would be marginally less pissed off about someone killing a child. Considering _how_ pissed off she gets, 'marginally' is not much of a difference in this case.**

 **That said, I hope you liked the chapter, and I'll see you next week!**


	15. Mounting Rescue

**Hello all! Here's your new chapter!**

 **This time there's no particular warnings... unless you count Ryoko's sarcasm, stealing a Wyvern and author insanity. Keep in mind that the incantations for the spells are all original. If you've seen them somewhere else, I did NOT copy them on purpose.**

 **Enjoy the chapter, and please leave me a review.**

* * *

 _ **Fire Emblem: Dragon's Claw**_

 **~ Chapter 13 ~**

 **Mounting Rescue**

Unseen in the air from Levi's back, Ryoko perked up when she heard Gangrel all but declare war on Ylisse— on them —and glanced at Levi. The large dark-colored Shadow Dragon crooned and beat his wings twice, angling himself into a slow dive to lower their altitude.

They both felt it when Ricken sent out the signal, their shared Sky-Eyes— Ryoko's Eyes, because Levi's weren't as good in sensing magic and were not detailed at great height differences —easily picking up the young Mage's flaring magic as he all but cast a Rexcalibur at the white-haired Dark Flier.

Without wasting any time, Levi turned into a steep dive hastily losing as much altitude as they could, and Ryoko jumped from his back and into a free fall.

With a loud crack of thunder and a flash of light, Ryoko Flashed herself to Ricken, and a moment later, Levi stepped out from her shadow without a word.

"RICKEN?! RYOKO?! What are you doing here?" Maribelle exclaimed, "And who is this?"

"We're the secret rescue team." Ryoko quipped.

"I am Levi. Pleasure." Levi introduced himself as he struck down a bandit.

"Just run!" Ricken told her urgently, "We can talk about it later!"

"Oh, are these your little boyfriend and his dogs?" Aversa taunted, "Aren't they just precious little things?"

"Don't talk down to me, witch!" Ricken snapped back, quickly charging a second spell.

Before the Dark Flier had any chance to move, a powerful Elwind spell slammed into her, sending her flying back a little.

The woman grunted as she blocked the spell unsuccessfully, "Nngh! W-Wind magic?!"

"Come on, Maribelle!" Ricken said, "We have to go, now!"

"Right!" Maribelle replied, following behind Ricken as Ryoko and Levi finished off the last of the bandits and left a little parting gift to Aversa.

The woman wouldn't be washing off the smell of a dozen combined stink bombs, nor would she be shrugging off the multitude of bad luck and tripping hexes she had been hit with.

There was a reason why it wasn't wise to insult a Dragon. They were prideful creatures, and extremely willing to get back at the offender in subtle, quiet and untraceable ways for as long as possible to humiliate and get back at the offender.

"Wretched whelps!" Aversa shouted at the pair's retreating backs, "I should…" She paused, clearly holding back her last meal, "No. Our soldiers have them outnumbered. The brats will be dead long before they reach their comrades. And I have to wash this disgusting smell off."

Her yelp when she tripped and fell into a pile of her own Pegasus' manure was music to Ryoko and Levi's ears, who laughed cheerfully as they covered Ricken and Maribelle from behind with their low-level magic and a small competition of Humiliate-Everyone-With-Annoying-Hexes-And-Curses-While-Killing-Everyone-Who-Gets-Too-Close.

It was a nice little game that was well known to every Shadogifted and Dark Magic-trained magic users, which consisted of causing as much chaos on the battlefield as humanly possible with annoying hexes and curses while cheerfully killing everyone who got too close.

Up until now, Ryoko hadn't had a real opportunity to play with it, but she had a very impressive repertory of prank spells in her tomes and a very active imagination, which promised to offset her inexperience.

They heard Gangrel laugh insanely, "I have my war!" He shouted in satisfaction before turning to one of his men. "Captain Orton!" The man snapped to attention, "Remain here, and take down as many Ylisseans as you can. You can expect reinforcements from the forts as well. Now, do your best… at doing your worst!"

Laughing madly once more, Gangrel left the soon to be battlefield before his captain had the chance to reply.

Quietly, Ryoko cursed.

"Would you watch your language, Ryoko?" Maribelle scolded. "It is most uncouth of you to—"

"When your head is nearly cut off," Ryoko snapped, ducking under an ax, "you are allowed to curse, damn these bandits!"

Levi quickly intervened and took out the bandit attacking Ryoko, while the female Dragon easily kept her stride and stabbed the bandit her male companion had been dealing with.

"We can't keep going like this!" Levi shouted.

"What do we do?" Ricken asked, half-panicked.

Ryoko thought about it as she turned someone bright pink.

"As Shepherds, we have two objectives," she thought out loud while making someone trip down a hill. "We need to defend Emmeryn and take out Orton and his soldiers before they do more damage than we can afford."

Three more bandits fell, and they were replaced by soldiers.

"We as a group also need to get to safety." the blue-haired Dragon continued as she danced into a soldier's guard and killed him, "To do any of that we need to reunite with the rest."

"Daraen is likely working on that, too." Levi pointed out. "That works in our favor."

"I say it's best that we quit hexing everyone for now and go for the kill with long-range spells." Ryoko suggested, "Ricken should conserve his magic and take out whoever gets too close to us or Mariaberu."

Ricken was about to protest, but the purple-haired Dragon nodded in agreement.

"Sounds good." He said. "That way Maribelle can heal one of us while the third mage swaps places with the injured one."

Ryoko nodded.

Realizing what the idea was doing, Ricken found himself agreeing. "That way we can conserve our magic and strength for when we reunite with the others and our healer is protected."

"Exactly." Ryoko agreed. "The less risk she's in, the better our chances are."

"Maribelle will be much more agile than Lissa if she mounts an horse." Levi pointed out. "But she has good resistance against magic anyways. As unpleasant as it is, a stray spell is less important than an archer or a normal soldier."

"Well, here they come!" Ryoko warned.

.

Daraen was frenetically thinking up strategies and discarding them because they carried too much risk.

There was little to no way they could reach Maribelle before she was killed.

Ricken had upped those chances significantly when he appeared from out of nowhere wrapped in a green cloak and fended off Aversa and the bandits.

Ryoko and Levi appearing from out of nowhere near the young Mage had made the chances of the kidnapped noble surviving extremely high. He just needed to make sure that they survived mostly uninjured and reunited so that they could protect the Exalt more efficiently and focus all their attention to taking the Plegian commander out.

There was a chance that the soldiers would leave with their commander dead, but it was extremely low.

"We should rout the enemy as we advance towards Orton." Daraen told Chrom, "Our main objectives are three: protect Exalt Emmeryn, reunite with Maribelle and her group, and take out as many of the Plegian soldiers as we can before they cross into Ylissean borders."

Chrom nodded in agreement, still defending his sister.

Phila and Frederick were protecting their charges to the best of their abilities, but they still paused for a second to glance at him.

"What's our strategy, Daraen?" Chrom asked.

"We need to divide into at least three groups." He said, rising his voice so that the interested parties could hear. "Phila, you will have to take some of your Pegasus Knights and retreat further back with the Exalt. If you can spare some of your Knights, you should have them circle around the battlefield and make sure none of the enemy slips past us and into Ylisse."

Phila nodded. "Understood."

"Some of our own should also stay behind with Emmeryn." Daraen continued. "Kellam, Anna, are you two up to that task?"

The two in question nodded and left.

"Lon'qu, Chrom, Vaike and I will be holing them off here." the tactician said, "Sumia, you and Lissa will be slightly behind us. Miriel, Virion, keep a watch out for any reinforcements and take out whoever you can." He turned to the three mounted units. "Sully, Stahl, Frederick, you three will go to Maribelle and the others' aid and get them out of there as fast as you can."

Everyone snapped an agreement, and the three riders quickly left, plowing through the Plegian soldiers to reach Maribelle, Ricken, Ryoko and Levi.

They were at the edge of his senses, so he could not be sure they would be alright.

For now, he focused his attention to the battle on his front.

"Chrom, Vaike, Miriel, you three will take that path." Daraen finished, "Lon'qu, Virion and I will take the other one. Sumia, strike when you can, but do not take risks and stay within shouting range in case we need you to fly Lissa to the other group for an emergency."

"R-Right!" the timid Pegasus Knight agreed.

Everyone quickly finished off any soldiers they still had close to them and moved into their assigned positions.

Now they just needed to hold out until the others came back.

.

Stahl worried, and he went as quickly as he possibly could to rescue Ryoko and the others.

There was a huge number of soldiers there, all of them converging towards the small group of four.

He couldn't help but appreciate how efficient they were being.

Ryoko and Levi, the most experienced fighters, were doing whatever they could to fend off enemies form a distance, not using tomes but their own magic, and only getting into a close-range fight if they could end it quickly or there was no choice.

Ricken, on the other hand, wasn't doing all that much, conserving his tome's magic for whenever Ryoko, Levi or Maribelle were in danger, while the latter was surrounded by the three mages in a protective formation while they slowly advanced through the masses of soldiers.

Clearly Sully could appreciate the brutal efficiency in which the trio of mages was slowly but surely escorting Maribelle to safety as well, because she let out an impressed whistle.

"Hot damn, they are _good_." The red Cavalier said.

Stahl and Frederick nodded their agreement with the statement.

"It appears that our two new recruits are well experienced with unfavorable odds and escort missions." Frederick pointed out. "Nonetheless, we should make haste and open them a path back to the group. Ryoko will not transform in front of Plegians, and I doubt Levi will."

"Why the hell not?" Sully asked, surprised, as she killed a Plegian soldier, "The Dragon Form is damned overpowered!"

"I believe they fear that should the Grimeal catch wind of them…" he quickly took out a soldier, "…they will be hunted down and killed because of what they are."

Frederick grunted a confirmation as he dealt with two soldiers at once.

Sully looked like she wanted to ask something, but she kept the question to herself.

Silently except for warnings to one another, the trio of riders advanced towards the group they had been asked to rescue.

.

Ryoko was getting worried that they would not receive aid before Ricken would be forced to fight actively.

The young Mage was good, but he lacked the raw power of a Dragon, the casting speed of an experienced battle-mage or the reserves needed to last a whole battle without becoming exhausted.

So she and Levi conspired to keep him out of a frenetic battle like the one the quartet was fighting to get to the main group until he could build up either better reserves, or greater casting efficiency.

She saw, distantly and through the enhanced Sky-Eyes that Levi offered to share with her, that the original group had divided itself into six groups.

Phila and some of her Pegasus Knights had retreated farther from the battle, while the rest circled around the battlefield to take out stragglers. Two groups had two close range and a long range unit, which she guessed were Chrom, Daraen, Vaike, Virion, Lon'qu and Miriel. Lissa and Sumia stayed slightly behind but close.

The last group she sensed caused her to almost sigh in relief as she highlighted them for Levi, who was more focused on the battle itself while Ryoko simply shot at whoever was in he way.

Stahl, Sully and Frederick were steadily coming closer to them.

"Hold on a little longer!" she encouraged, "Help is on the way!"

Levi grinned madly, redoubling his efforts to open a path to the three riders.

Ricken seemed to perk up at the news, while Maribelle's face brightened just a fraction.

"Mariaberu and Ricken will go with Sully." She stated. "Levi, you will be with Stahl."

Her tone left no room for questioning or rebuking.

She slipped into the guard of a soldier and cut off the point of his lance, wrenching it from his grip and using it to make him stumble back. A fireball to the face was the last thing he saw.

"And you?" Levi inquired instead.

He easily manipulated a soldier's shadow to trip its owner, and killed him with a Nosferatu spell to recover some strength.

Ryoko used her stolen tool to vault over a soldier and kill him from behind with her sword.

"I will open a path and go with Frederick." She told him.

Levi shot a series of small dark magic bullets and raised an eyebrow. "I have better reserves than you, you know, right?"

"You don't have the power-energy efficiency I have with Thunder spells, and a good Thoron is what we need." Ryoko rebutted without even looking at her enemy, instead looking in Levi's eyes.

An offhand spell took out the soldier trying to take advantage of it.

"Fair enough." Levi conceded.

Soon after, the three riders reached them and charged right through the remaining soldiers between the two groups.

"Didn't milord specifically order you three to stay put at the barracks?" Frederick scolded lightly.

Ryoko shrugged as the others did as she asked and went to Sully and Stahl.

"We wouldn't be here if we didn't care what happened to Mariaberu." Ryoko replied, "But we care about our comrades and friends, and we snuck out to mount a rescue. Coincidentally, it was needed."

Without any more words, she cast the spell, " **By the fury of the storm, I command you! Destroy all that stands in my path! Blazing Thoron!** "

A much bigger and powerful version of the Thoron spell shot out of Ryoko's fingertips, decimating the enemy soldiers between them and Chrom. A second later, Ryoko dropped to her knees, breathing hard.

"G-GO!" She shouted, hastily climbing on Frederick's horse despite her magical exhaustion.

As soon as Ryoko was safely in the saddle behind him, Frederick spurned his horse to follow behind the others.

Ryoko shakily reached into her bag, pulling out a bunch of Izen Berries and ate two before stuffing the rest back where they came from.

Immediately, her magic recovered and with it the overwhelming sense of tiredness that had been assaulting her faded a little.

She quickly shot down an Archer that had been about to shoot at them, and held on to the Great Knight as his horse accelerated further and took the lead.

.

Daraen had been startled by the loud crack and bright flash of an extremely powerful thunder spell, probably an overpowered Thoron from Ryoko, which meant that she would be exhausted and all but useless.

Accounting for that in his strategy, he waited and continued fending off the soldiers.

It wasn't long before their three riders returned almost at full speed, Frederick in the lead, with Ricken and Maribelle riding with Sully and Levi with Stahl.

Much to his surprise, Ryoko was sitting tall and proud, shooting an occasional small bolt of magic at incoming threats.

The group slowed to a more calm pace and stopped near Sumia, where everyone but the Frederick, Sully and Stahl dismounted.

Ryoko waited for Daraen to break off for a second and get close to them.

"I can't cast much of anything for the day." She told him quickly and bluntly.

Daraen nodded. "This is good enough. I thought you would have been useless."

Ryoko hummed. "Izen Berries restore a little of my reserves, but it still overtaxes them to keep casting."

.

Ryoko had been assigned to fight with Lon'qu, which annoyed the pair.

The green-eyed Dragon, because she would have rather fought with a mage as her style of fighting relied on magic being cast from her position, and the stoic Feroxi because his partner was a woman.

"I am really, really, really tempted to just ditch orders and go bug Levi." Ryoko whispered low enough that only the swordsman could hear.

"The sentiment is the same for me." He agreed. "I would rather fight with a man by my side."

The tired mage-swordswoman gave a sigh as she quickly moved to cut down a soldier.

"You are leaving yourself open." Lon'qu stated.

"Technically not." She replied, "I would be using magic with my free hand, though I shouldn't be doing it now. That's why I want to go with Levi. He can spam magic and cover for what I can't cast or even lend me his magic."

Lon'qu expertly cut down two enemies while Ryoko took out a third.

"If it bothers you so much, why not use your second sword?" The man suggested.

Ryoko paused for a moment.

A Wyvern Rider tried to take advantage of this, but Ryoko quickly wipped out her secondary sword, the Dragon's Claw, and blocked the blow.

She then ducked under the man's ax and jumped on him, throwing him off the startled Wyvern, dead from being stabbed by her two blades.

Ryoko turned to the Wyvern, sheathing her swords calmly.

She raised her hands in a soothing gesture, slowly approaching the frazzled animal.

"Shhh… hush girl… I won't harm you." she whispered, knowing that the surprise of the enemy soldiers would buy her enough time.

Slowly, she managed to get close enough to the Wyvern that she could touch her without any real effort.

Instead of placing her hand on her muzzle, however, Ryoko slowly but deliberately touched the side of her neck, exposing her own in the process.

The Wyvern, clearly stunned for a moment at the instinctual gesture that was so obviously Dragon-like, took a while to respond.

And she did it by licking Ryoko's neck gently, a sign of acceptance.

The green-eyed Dragon smiled, involuntarily letting out a small happy croon that was a Dragon version of saying 'See? I told you it would be alright!'

The Wyvern hissed a nervous laugh and question at the same time.

"My name is Ryoko, girl." the Dragon told her, "Do you have one?"

The Wyvern's reply was a mix of disappointed-annoyed-resigned-angry that clearly meant that her former rider didn't name her and thought her a boy.

Ryoko huffed. "Idiot. How about Azura?"

A happy roar was the only reply Ryoko needed. With an excited whoop of joy, she jumped on her back.

"Lend me your wings, then, Azura!"

With another roar, this time of challenge, the newly named Azura took off and shot towards the stunned Plegian soldiers, Ryoko taking out her sword and focusing on changing Drexion's form.

The blade quickly shrunk, while the crossguard became sharper and larger, shaping to become an ax's blade. Finally, the handle lengthened until Ryoko was holding a large and quite long battleax with two blades.

Letting out a battle cry, Ryoko laid waste to the Plegian soldiers before they could recover, darting on Azura between foes as the two cooperated easily to tear apart the opposition.

They landed not long after next to Lon'qu.

"I think this idea is better, though." Ryoko quipped to the man in a moment of pause.

There were no Plegian soldiers heading towards them for now, so the Feroxi swordsman conceded the talk.

"So long as neither of you expects me to be in close contact with you, I'll be fine." He replied curtly.

Not taken aback in the least, Ryoko smiled from her perch. "So long as I can still join in at the poker nights and you don't rat us out to Freddy, I don't care what you do."

The man nodded in acceptance.

It was refreshing for him to see a woman who wasn't taken aback, repulsed or offended by his gynophobia. Instead, she ignored the snappier than necessary replies and the disgust in his voice on the condition he didn't bar her from her life within the Shepherds with it.

Unexpected as it was, Lon'qu found himself being able to tolerate the woman so long as she kept her distance from him.

.

Levi was annoyed. Very, very annoyed and taking it out on the poor (note the sarcasm) Plegian soldiers oh-so-kindly heading his way for him to take out his frustrations on.

Daraen had, unexpectedly, made the stupid thing and separated the two Dragons, pairing them up with different people and putting them in completely different groups.

He felt the equally annoyed Ryoko from the other side of the link though which they were still sharing their Sky-Eyes, and he was certain that she was feeling his.

He had been surprised when she had stolen a Wyvern from the Plegians by effectively all but turning her on one of her summons, though likely one she would keep in their world until her death.

He was bored out of his mind, all but sidelined to the role of a mage, though thankfully Vaike's annoying tendency to seek out trouble suited him just fine as he shamelessly used the opportunity to take his sword and break off from the mages, preferring to battle at close range with his reserves almost exhausted.

He would really need to have a word with Daraen after this, and Ryoko was likely thinking the same.

Finally, they received the order that they were to stand down and return to camp, so he hastily disappeared in the shadows of twilight and went to speak with Ryoko. He was sure that a couple of good old-fashioned brutal sparring matches done in Dragon-style would be more than appreciated and beating the shit out of one another would let them work through their frustrations.

He was also sure neither Lissa nor Maribelle would be happy with this. At all.

* * *

 **And we're done! Sorry this came out a little late in the day, but I kinda forget about it in the mornings.**

 **Now, notes! Ryoko and Levi's sharing of the Sky-Eyes will be expanded on later. They're basically linking their minds and sharing power.**

 **The game '** **Humiliate-Everyone-With-Annoying-Hexes-And-Curses-While-Killing-Everyone-Who-Gets-Too-Close** **' is a made up game. Given how unhinged the characters who can use dark magic can be, I thought it appropriate to give them some form of entertainement. At everyone else's expense, of course. It's a long name, I know, but nobody really cares(in-universe. I don't care either).**

 **Blazing Thoron is just the normal Thoron, but absurdly overpowered and more efficient than just dumping too much power into it. The incantation will remain the same between the two versions.**

 **Yes, Ryoko can talk to Wyverns. In this story they're considered lesser Dragons, so she can understand and speak their language. She stole the Wyvern because, hey, why the hell not? Azura's name is, again, from FE Fates.**

 **I think that covers everything for this chapter, so I'll see you all next week.**


	16. Foreseer and Assassins

**Welcome back, dear readers!**

 **Let's see... there's a few original spells, very minor spoilers for the late game and a cluster F-bomb (also known as _cursing_ ). Oh, and general insanity, like any other chapter with Ryoko and Levi involved.**

 **Enjoy the chapter, and please leave me a review.**

* * *

 _ **Fire Emblem: Dragon's Claw**_

 **~ Chapter 14 ~**

 **Foreseer and Assassins**

Ryoko sighed to herself, bored out of her mind.

There had been a suspicious lull in Plegian activity after Gangrel's declaration of war, but it didn't reassure Ryoko or Levi, who had been mercenaries almost all their lives and were well aware that it was likely a ruse to get them to lower their guards.

Both Dragons had taken to walking around the Ylissean palace with their Sky-Eyes active, and Daraen occasionally did as well, though not nearly as often as they would like.

The lack of attacks was making Ryoko very restless, though it only showed in that she started carrying both of her swords and her being even more hyperactive than usual at night.

Levi, on the other hand, had taken to carrying an insane amount of knives on his person and rarely left Ryoko's side for much of anything except trips to the bathroom and sleep.

"Have you tended to Azura?" Levi asked, trying to find a way to alleviate their boredom.

"Two hours ago." She replied despairingly.

They saw Lon'qu pass through, and the two Dragons took their chance.

"Hey, Lon'qu!" Ryoko shouted, waving her hand in greeting, "Having a nice evening?"

"Good evening, Lon'qu!" Levi greeted loudly, also waving his hand.

The stoic swordsman paused to look at them impassively, though Ryoko would swear that she saw his lips turn upward minutely.

He approached the pair, and they admirably resisted the urge to cheer.

"Good evening, Ryoko, Levi." The Feroxi greeted, hand casually resting on his Killing Edge. "I am finding that I do not enjoy the sudden lack of Plegian assaults. Is it always like this?"

"This rowdy?" Ryoko replied, "Yes. The resolution of out little 'bandit problem', not at all. Gangrel is planning something."

"Though everyone is saying we're paranoid." Levi grouched.

"I'm glad that I am not the only one unsettled by the sudden calm." Lon'qu told them, clearly relieved.

"How is it that he manages to get this close to you on his own?" Levi asked rudely, receiving a glare from the other two.

"No idea." Ryoko replied flippantly. "It's likely a combination of the fact that I'm naturally more powerful than you and my mostly neutral signature. I was a very gender-confused kid because the Seal was designed for men and Summoning is a mostly female art."

"And by that she means that female are literally the only ones who can form a contract with the various Spirits." Levi clarified.

.

Chrom sighed as he walked back to the barracks, deep in thought.

Daraen, who had been about to leave himself as it was getting really late— it was past midnight! —saw this and decided to approach the man who had given him a chance.

Yes, Ryoko had been the one who found him and offered to escort him to the nearest town, but she would just have left him there with a few gold, a map and a decent cultural knowledge of the recent events, something she had bluntly admitted to him when he asked. He couldn't really blame her, either, as then she'd been a wandering mercenary looking for a job, _any_ job, that would help her make ends meet by the end of the month.

Chrom had been the one who had taken them both in, giving Daraen a stable home and a job he was good at, and Ryoko a semi-permanent job in which her skills wouldn't be wasted and a safe heaven against the Grimeal cult.

"Chrom? What are you doing out so late?" He asked, walking towards the blue-haired prince.

Chrom was startled out of his thoughts, but relaxed when he saw him, "Oh, hey, Daraen. I could ask you the same thing."

They both shared a small smile before Chrom continued.

"Just…" he hesitated, unsure of how to put it, "dueling with unpleasant thoughts, I guess. Tomorrow we march to Regna Ferox to request additional soldiers. But there's something I think you should know first."

Here Chrom adopted a dark expression.

Daraen was certain that this was not going to be a very pleasant conversation, and he was almost equally sure that Gangrel's words, coupled with the group of bandits they had taken out before Donny joined them, had stirred some dark memories in the prince.

"…Not everything Gangrel said was a lie." Chrom told him, "The last Exalt, my father, waged war on Plegia for many years. The violence…" he shuddered at the memory, "It was a brutal campaign, ending only with his death fifteen years ago."

He took a deep breath in an effort to calm himself, "Plegia rightfully remembers their suffering, but his war was no kinder to his own people. As the fighting dragged on, our army became more and more diminished.

"Farmers who could barely wield a pitchfork were conscripted and sent to their deaths. Soon there was no food at all, and the kingdom began to collapse.

The blue-haired man now had a haunted look in his face, "I was young, but I remember those dark times. …I know how they affected Emmeryn."

"Such an experience would change anyone." Daraen agreed shakily, "I don't think I would have been able to stand something like that at that age…."

"Indeed." Chrom confirmed. "As Ryoko said when she mentioned it, those were not good times to be an orphan, especially for us. When our father died before her tenth year, he left her quite the legacy…. Plegia's desire for vengeance, our own people's unbridled rage…. My sister became a target for blame from all sides. Her own subjects began to hurl insults— and stones. She still bears the scar from one. But she never let them see her pain. Only Lissa and I understood."

Daraen was stunned into silence.

He couldn't imagine surviving nearly on his own after a massive war, let alone being constantly insulted and shunned for the actions and sins of his father like that.

His respect for the Exalt only grew. He could see now why Emmeryn was considered a symbol of peace.

To be so kind no matter what, even after what she endured, she was certainly a strong and formidable woman, though her strength was of a different kind.

"It must have been so hard…" he finally breathed.

"I will never know how she does it, Daraen." Chrom told him honestly, "I could never greet such hostility with warmth and patience. While our people mocked and vilified her, she reached out and healed them. She brought soldiers home to their families. She ended the war. And when Ylisse's spirit was mended and the people 'forgave' her? …She never resented them for it. She represents the best of the halidom— the part most worth protecting. She _is_ peace." Here, Chrom's expression hardened to a scowl. "But some men would take advantage of that. Men like King Gangrel. The day he understands peace will be the day death gives it to him. …So perhaps I must be death's agent. Emmeryn would never order him killed, nor would I wish her to."

Daraen nodded, agreeing.

Emmeryn was the ultimate peacekeeper, but sometimes that didn't help against a warmonger like Gangrel. It was why they would be the ones to take him out in her stead when the time came. The Mad King would never accept peace on his own. Chrom and the Shepherds all agreed, even if reluctantly, that he needed to die. Ryoko was just the most vocal of them about it.

"Well spoken, sir." Marth's voice said as he appeared from behind a tree.

"Marth." Chrom replied, a greeting and a warning all in one.

"Good evening to you." The young man greeted politely.

"How did you get in here?" Chrom asked warily, likely spurned by the years of living with Frederick's paranoia.

"The cleft in the castle wall, behind the maple grove." Marth told him, gesturing in its general direction.

Chrom's eyes widened, "There? But how would you…?"

He groaned.

"You know the place, Chrom?" Daraen asked curiously.

"Yes." The blue-haired man admitted, blushing, "I bashed in part of the wall while training the Shepherds. It's only a small hole, and I'd thought it well concealed, but…"

"Your secret is safe with me." Marth reassured him, only to turn serious once more. "I come here only to warn you."

"…Warn us?" Daraen repeated, uncertain of what he meant.

"The Exalt's life is in danger." The masked swordsman warned.

"What, Emmeryn?" Chrom almost scoffed, "That's absurd. She's guarded at all hours."

Daraen was slightly more inclined to believe Marth than his friend was, having spent more time around Ryoko and Levi, who both almost constantly were using their Sky-Eyes to watch the territory near them because they feared that Gangrel's inactions only heralded something much worse coming.

"What if…" Marth said, his voice sounding desperate, "What if I told you I have seen the future? Would you believe me? A future where Emmeryn is killed. Here. Tonight."

"Seen… the future?" Chrom asked, remembering something Levi once mentioned.

 _'The worlds beyond the Gates can be very different, or very similar. Similar to the point they share the same timeline up to a single diverting point. Some may even be our own future.'_

"Had I not been dealing with Ryoko and Levi for the last few weeks, I'd ask if you had lost your wits." He added after a moment.

Daraen agreed with Chrom's sentiment on the matter. Even Ryoko and Levi would be called insane, though jokingly. He had heard more or less the whole conversation, and it still gave him an headache to think of how they went from a conversation about their horses' names to teleportation and otherworldly portals and, when Miriel joined in, the science behind them.

…And that one was only the most memorable of their seemingly insane conversations.

Marth nodded to himself. "Yes, I was expecting you to be at least skeptical."

Wow, apparently even Marth was aware of the two Dragons' headache-inducing conversations.

"…So allow me to prove it!" he said, slowly drawing his sword.

Chrom followed suit, while Daraen charged a weak Thunder spell as discretely as he could.

"I'm about to save your life." Marth stated, nodding towards a bush, "From him."

Before anyone could react, an assassin shot out of the bushed, rushing towards them.

Marth tossed his sword in the air and jumped, killing the assassin form behind a moment later.

"I trust this proof will suffice?" He asked.

Chrom and Daraen nodded shakily.

"Yes."

"Y-Yeah."

Daraen decided that it would be wise to activate his Sky-Eyes just in case there were more assassins lurking in the foliage.

Another man appeared in his new line of vision, but he ran out of the bushes before he could do anything to warn Chrom and Marth.

The masked man jumped back barely in the nick of time to avoid being stabbed, but he tripped over the first assassin's fallen sword and his mask was cut and broken.

Daraen had already shot out his stunner spell, and Chorm quickly finished him off with Falchion.

They both turned to face Marth.

"Wait, you're—" Chrom said, surprised.

"You're a woman?!" Both of them exclaimed.

Without the mask, Marth's face was clearly feminine, while her long hair only accentuated the look.

"And quite the actress, too." She shot back lightly, "Honestly, I'm surprised you didn't figure it out until just now. Ryoko certainly didn't take long to do it."

"Damn, did you _have_ to remind me?" Daraen grouched, earning a questioning look from both Chrom and Marth.

He grinned bashfully, "I may or may not have bet ten gold and my next dessert on Marth's gender with Ryoko. And I lost."

Any reply was cut off by a loud explosion, followed by a string of curses shouted from the other side of the rather large garden that sounded suspiciously like the aforementioned Lightning Dragon.

The three hastily left for the palace, where Emmeryn was certainly in danger.

.

Ryoko and Levi had somehow managed to convince Lon'qu to a three-way sparring match between themselves to pass the time.

Currently, Ryoko and Lon'qu had teamed up in a surprise attack against Levi, as he had been about to get the last point he needed to win.

They were about to hit him for another point when the green-eyed Dragon when she suddenly stopped and raised a barrier.

A moment later, what looked like an overpowered Arcflame exploded on it.

"FUCK!" she shouted, followed by a string of curses that is better left out of writing. "Damn it all and Frozen Hells! I fucking knew it!"

And she started cursing again.

Levi, who had heard them all long ago, ignored her. "Lon'qu, go wake the others." He punched Ryoko to make her shut up and listen, "We'll try to keep those bastards out of the castle."

The Feroxi swordsman gave a curt nod and left.

Ryoko took out her cloak and put it on after removing the green color spell that was still on it, returning it to the original black. Then she used another spell to darken the color on her scarf.

 _'Grima, I need your voice for a moment.'_ She sent through the connection.

 _ **W-Wha—?**_ He mumbled incoherently, _**What's happening? Oh, here.**_

She felt the change, and he went back to sleep.

 _'Lazy-ass Dragon.'_ She muttered darkly. _'There's an assassination and he fucking sleeps.'_

Shaking her head, she brought up her hood, pulled her scarf up and hit herself with a couple more spells.

"Well?" she questioned, her voice deep and raspy, "Are we gonna kill the bitch or not?"

Levi was stunned into silence for a moment before he caught on.

"You go ahead. I'll deal with the reinforcements and guards."

Ryoko nodded as Levi faded into the shadows.

The pair quietly and quickly made their way through the gardens and to the back of the palace, since their target was not likely to be expecting their surprise attack. *****

.

The pair's luck held as they somehow managed to evade Frederick and Phila on their way, finally reaching the other assassins and their leader.

"You two." A voice called roughly.

"Yesss?" Levi replied with a sibilant hiss.

Ryoko grunted.

The speaker had been a rather tall sorcerer with dark skin, short black hair, red eyes and extremely sharp features. He almost looked like the average Plegian, just skinnier, if it wasn't for the eyes, the Grimeal robes and the _taint_ clinging to him.

 _ **Forsaken.**_ Grima hissed angrily, suddenly fully awake.

"Report." The man demanded.

"Escaped." Ryoko said on a whim. "Hurt."

The sorcerer growled angrily. "Two of my best assassins and you couldn't even take care of that damned rabbit?"

Ryoko and Levi hissed in displeasure.

 _Tainted by blood and betrayal! Kill him! Kill him!_ Her instincts screamed.

She carefully cut off the link between herself and Grima.

She didn't want him or the Claw itself to possess her and kill the sorcerer just yet. She had to wait a little more for the others to show up.

"No matter." The sorcerer growled as he stomped away, "The beast won't do anything but delay the inevitable."

Ryoko reached for Levi with her magic. _'_ _ **Link.**_ _Levi? Sky on my mark.'_

Levi himself let through a sense of surprise from the sudden connection, but recovered quickly. _'_ _ **Skies, warn me! By the way: ready.**_ _'_

Ryoko was startled by the similarity between Grima and Levi's mental voices.

 _ **'He stinks. Do we take him?'**_

 _'Negative. Motives first. Wait for others.'_

 _ **'Acknowledged. Why Link?'**_

 _'You'll see.'_

"Remember, I want the Emblem in my hand and Emmeryn dead on the floor. Let nothing distract you from either purpose." The man commanded the assassins, most of whom nodded in eager assent.

 _'This is bad.'_ Ryoko thought. _'This is really,_ really _,_ **really** _bad.'_

 _ **'I thought this was a picnic, right?'**_ Levi snarked.

 _ **No shit?**_ Grima replied.

Levi shrieked through the connection as he heard him.

Both Grima and Ryoko were quick to shush him.

Just in time to be able to hear a thief's words not far from them.

"Whoa, whoa, did I just hear that right? We're to _kill_ the Exalt?" he was saying, "I'm just here for the plunder. You know, line my pockets with some royal goods. The Exalt's such a sweet lady…. Sure, I'll rob her blind, but I'd never harm her!"

"Chrom! Take Lissa and flee while you still have time!" They heard Emmerin shout to her brother.

"No! We're not leaving you!" Chrom refused stubbornly, "Just stay where it's safe!"

Levi perked up and brought out the Dragon's enhanced hearing to overhear the conversation.

"The assassins should scatter if we defeat their leader." Daraen suggested.

They heard the sorcerer speak again, and turned their attention to him. "Hmph! Two assassins and the little princeling was not even wounded? …Wait. Some of these actors do not belong on this stage…."

He was likely speaking about Marth, or rather, the Hero-King's female alternate.

Then he said something which made Ryoko's blood boil.

"Can it be?!" he laughed in happy surprise, "After years of searching…. Tonight, fate truly piles the gifts at my feet!"

Who could be related to him here…? The only woman she knew that had been near him, besides the slut that was the king's aide and the other fanatics, was… well, _shit_. Lorenne.

Daraen was a descendant of the Grimeal cultists. And not only that, but apparently someone high up was searching for him. Fan-fucking-tastic.

There was no more time to waste waiting.

 _'Mark.'_ She sent.

Levi's Sky-Eyes activated, and Ryoko saw through them thanks to the Link.

She was surprised by the change.

While her own had very short range, they were great for air battles or sensing incoming spells and/or foes.

Levi instead had mostly average range and sensitivity to magic. But, damn, he had absurdly accurate distance, depth and detail perception.

It was no wonder he was so precise when throwing spells in the Arena battle!

She quickly studied the area beyond the walls, and noted there were assassins already inside.

 _'Block off the leader.'_ She told Levi, _'Then we drive him back. Let the boss deal with the assassins, this guy needs to stay away.'_

Levi replied with a curt agreement and moved into position.

 _'_ _ **Holy light, strike down this sinners! Lightning!**_ _'_ She cast mentally.

The Light-type spell was much weaker than her favored element, but it caused untold damage to those corrupted by dark magic as the sorcerer was.

She drew a few runes in the air, hastily preparing more spells to hit him with.

The sorcerer turned to find the source of the attack, and he was hit from behind by Levi's curse.

Ryoko was already moving in front of the doors, activating the Lightning runes she was drawing while hiding within the shadows.

The sorcerer cursed and attempted to teleport, but failed. Ryoko held back a smirk. The plan worked. She sent more runes, alternating them occasionally with a more powerful spell, and the sorcerer retreated.

 _ **'Good. We're forcing him back.'**_ Levi commented. _**'How much further?'**_

 _'Not much.'_ She replied, _'Build a teleportation ward for tonight around the area we'll be fighting in.'_

 _ **'How about making a [Territory] and being done with it?'**_ Levi asked.

Ryoko mentally rolled her eyes. _'Don't reveal our skills to the enemy, you moron. [Territories] and [Dragon Veins] are rare and powerful. If he escapes, the Grimeal will know about us and make our lives harder.'_

 _ **'Understood.'**_ He muttered dejectedly. _ **'I don't like this, but I'll do it your way.'**_

Sighing, she released the Link.

They rushed at the sorcerer.

Ryoko swung high.

Levi attacked low.

The sorcerer blocked Drexion with his magic, but couldn't counter before Levi made him lose balance.

"You traitors!" he shouted angrily as he cast. "You will pay for this!"

"Really?" Levi taunted with fake cheer, "Hey, Silver, did you know we betrayed someone we never joined?"

"Really? _That_ name?" she asked irritably, "You're useless as always, Dusk."

They both easily jumped out of the way of the sorcerer's retaliation.

"Why?" Levi whined pathetically, nearly taking off the sorcerer's head.

Ryoko avoided a Nosferatu as if it was an everyday thing and replied in kind. "Because you're a whiny brat."

"Unfair." Levi pouted, incinerating a dagger. "You're so unfair."

"I am not!" Ryoko protested while nearly killing the sorcerer, "You started this!"

The sorcerer groaned even as his spell nearly impaled them both.

"I totally did _not_!" Levi argued, retaliating with fire.

"Will you two STOP ARGUING!" The sorcerer screamed in frustration.

Ryoko paused for a moment, looking as cute and innocent as she could. She chirped, "Okay!"

Her eyes changed to an electric purplish-blue color, and her hair became blood red moments before her hood fell off on its own. Some sort of magic had changed her clothing to be mostly silver in color as well.

Lightning sparked at her fingertips as she channeled her magic through the Dragon's Claw.

Not that she had any real idea of what she was doing. She let herself be guided along by her instincts and Drexion, knowing that her opponent was currently stronger than her.

"Sword form. Release." She heard herself say flatly.

She wondered why had she used the term 'release'.

The Claw shifted quickly, lengthening its blade while the 'wings' of the crossguard changed. The front pair became extremely thin and twisted around the blade, ending in dangerous spikes a its point, magic sparking through them. The middle pair became the new crossguard, with an intricate design, if small. The last pair extended from the crosspiece, forming a protection around her hand and wrist while still leaving the hilt exposed enough that she could wield it with two hands. Finally, the blade became helix-shaped, glowing an icy blue while the rest glowed silver.

 _'Well,_ that _was unexpected.'_ She thought to herself.

 _ **That's the true power of Drexion.**_ Grima replied, _**It responds to the user's will, even amplifying their natural skills. You are its chosen wielder, now, and it will**_ **always** _ **return to you.**_

Ryoko was stunned by that information, and decided to focus on the battle first. Questions could come later. She had an assassination to stop now.

Her body, guided by the Claw, was fighting fiercely, but not nearly as efficiently as she would like to.

Activating her Sky-Eyes to get a grip on the new flow of battle, she was surprised at the level of detail she got and how far she saw.

 _'So this is the fabled Level 2….'_ She mused to herself.

And she retook control a moment later, swiftly avoiding a rather nasty Nosferatu.

 _'Grima said it could amplify my skills.'_ She thought, glancing at her sword, _'Would I be able to use_ those _, then?'_

Deciding there was only one way to find out, she retreated a little further and tried to remember the incantations.

" **Descend, holy lightning! Strike down these fools and cleanse the land of darkness! Light Storm!** "

The spell was a lot like her Eclipse Storm, only in silver and gold, and it left no damage on the ground as it advanced.

The sorcerer screamed in pain as the worst of the spell hit him, not quite killing him. The fact that he survived a direct hit in spite of how corrupted he was… it was definite proof that he wasn't someone to take lightly, if only because of how damn powerful he was.

Levi was quick to press their advantage once the spell passed and attacked.

Catching her breath from the sheer power of the spell, Ryoko followed suit a moment later, gathering her magic once more.

" **Shine, great lights! Call down thunder to illuminate the night!** "

Electricity ran down her right arm and into the released Drexion, gathering at its tip.

" **Light Spark!** "

She stabbed at the sorcerer with a roar, the spell released, electrocuting the man and wounding him badly.

"N-No…" the sorcerer denied, shock and anger on his face, "It's im…possible… H-How could… you… have known…"

" _ **I am the flames of the Abyss! Hellfire!**_ "

Levi's spell created a torrent of black and purple flames that consumed the sorcerer within moments, leaving nothing but a charred corpse.

" **Restore the world to balance! Purify!** "

Light enveloped the dead sorcerer, and his remains turned to ash.

Ryoko watched with a blank expression, even as she and Drexion returned to normal.

A single silver flame still burned, slowly destroying the large and intricate medallion of the Grimeal cult's High Priest or whatever was the actual title.

The same medallion that she vaguely remembered her mother burned for Lorenne.

"You can rest in peace now, Lorenne." She whispered to the stars. "He's gone now. He can't hurt anyone else."

Levi tentatively took her hand in his, getting her attention. "You won't be alone again. I promise."

Ryoko smiled tiredly. "T-Thanks."

She swayed and leaned against him, nearly passing out as the magic she used in battle and her injuries finally took their toll on her.

Levi wordlessly supported her and helped her regain her footing as they made their way back inside. "Come on, we still have work to do."

* * *

 *** I was very,** _ **very VERY**_ **tempted to end the chapter here. Unfortunately, I didn't reach my minimum wordcount and I couldn't find a way to expand the beginning without sounding too forced.**

 **Well, without further ado, onto the chapter notes!**

 **Levi's clarification in the first segment is inaccurate. Men _can_ form contracts, but it's harder and usually only with single spirits.**

 **Ryoko and Levi's conversations about the multiverse and the Outrealm Gates are there because they are just _that_ bored. Then Miriel joined in at some point, and the bored discussions about the Outrealms and what's in them became a scientific debate that nobody but those involved really understood.**

 **And yes, she started the bet just to make people lose their money. What Ryoko whispered to Marth in the first chapter? "You're really good at this, Lady. Almost fooled _me_ , too!"**

 **The Link thing _will_ be explained. Later. Levi freaked out when he heard Grima because he wasn't expecting Ryoko to really be able to hear him at all, much less _himself_. He gets over it.**

 **Now, for the spells. Lightning is the basic Light tome in quite a few FE games. I just added the incantation.  
Light Storm and Light Spark are original, and the reason Ryoko couldn't use them is that the Seal draws on inactive magic and, since she was hiding that she was a Dragon, it drained from Dragon powers the most. Since she is a Lightning Dragon, she can't safely draw on enough magic to use them just yet.  
As for Hellfire... exactly what it says on the tin. Eldritch flames that would not be out of place in hell.  
Finally, Purify deals little damage normally, but it's extremely effective against Forsaken or undead(i.e. zombies, Risen, those ghoul-type enemies) and can remove poisons and nasty curses or hexes if it has enough power. Also, as Ryoko demonstrated, it can also be used to purge darker magics, to the point of destroying the corpse(which was why it was cast this time).**

 **Last note, the Terrirory thing. It's basically a barrier that only dissolves if certain conditions are met or the creator takes it down. Think of the barrier that keeps you with certain enemies or bosses in Xenoblade.**

 **Until next week!**


	17. Defending the Castle

**Hello again, my dear readers!**

 **Writing this chapter was _murder_. Seriously, I had, like, 2500 words to start with and horrible writing, an info dump that made no sense and the _holes_. I managed to fix it by inserting all those smaller scenes with other characters. I also took a few liberties with the backstory, but this is an AU, so who cares.  
**

 **Also, I will be going on a brief vacation, so the next two updates might be published late or not at all, depending on when I get a decent internet connection. Sorry folks, but that's what happens when you go abroad on vacation. I can't always bring my laptop with me, you know?**

 **Without further ado, on with the story!**

* * *

 _ **Fire Emblem: Dragon's Claw**_

 **~ Chapter 15 ~**

 **Defending the Castle**

The thief waited in the shadows.

"Remember, I want the Emblem in my hand and Emmeryn dead on the floor. Let nothing distract you from either purpose." His employer ordered harshly, and the others nodded in eager assent.

The thief paled. "Whoa, whoa, did I just hear that right? We're to _kill_ the Exalt?" muttered to himself, "I'm just here for the plunder. You know, line my pockets with some royal goods. The Exalt's such a sweet lady…. Sure, I'll rob her blind, but I'd never harm her!"

"Chrom! Take Lissa and flee while you still have time!" He heard the Exalt shout.

"No! We're not leaving you!" someone he assumed was Chrom refused, "Just stay where it's safe!"

"The assassins should scatter if we defeat their leader." A third person suggested.

He thought he heard a pained scream from his employer, but he ignored it.

He was too busy shaking in sudden fear and searching for a way to get out of there before he was killed.

He didn't sign up for starting a war!

.

Sumia was woken up by the loud screeching of Ryoko's Wyvern, Azura.

She sleepily went to see what it was all about, wondering why was she making such a racket in the middle of the night.

The barracks' door suddenly slammed open.

"Lon'qu!?" she exclaimed.

The stoic swordsman looked slightly panicked, she noted absently.

"No time, woman!" he shouted, "Wake everyone and get your armor! There's an assassination going on!"

Sumia was immediately jolted awake by this. "W-What? Damnit! Get the men! Quickly!"

She hurried back to the women's dorms, tripping on a something on the way.

"Sully!" she shouted, "Miriel! Maribelle! Wake up! There's an emergency!"

She hastily put on her armor.

"What the hell is going on?" Sully demanded angrily. "I just fell asleep!"

Sumia explained. Sully cursed loudly and geared up. The other two girls woke up. And the redhead cavalier kept cursing.

.

Marth sighed to herself.

She was stuck guarding a door nobody came close to, but she knew it could change at any time, so she stayed alert.

Her sword glowed twice.

"Falchion is gleaming." She murmured, wondering what it meant.

From what she managed to discern it could either mean that its counterpart was close and fully awakened, which made next to no sense, or there was someone else nearby who she needed to watch out for.

"Chrom, please!" Emmeryn pleaded of her brother, "Flee while you still can! You each have but one life, and I do not wish it weighed against mine!"

"No, sister." Chrom replied firmly. "We will protect you from the assassins on our own if we have to, but I will not let you die without fighting to save you!"

"The guys are on their way!" Daraen announced, relieved. "Lon'qu is with them, and Frederick is coming with Phila, but they're being stalled on the ground floor. There's a thief that seems reluctant to be here, and someone else is coming, but whoever it is, they're neutral at best. I can't see either Ryoko or Levi yet."

Suppressing a smile, Marth waited for anyone to come near her.

Two more would join today, and there was a large possibility that she might be able to accomplish what she set out to do.

Ryoko and Levi were unexpected, as was the Shepherds' quick response, but they only stacked the odds in favor of her mission.

Hopefully the future would be saved….

.

It didn't take long for most of the Shepherds to reach them, be it from the eastern or western staircase.

Daraen quickly made sure of who was here and who was still down with Frederick and Phila, creating strategy after strategy and discarding them.

Come on, _think_!

Objective: guard the Exalt, take out the assassins as quickly as possible.

The room was not well-defended, with two rather large doors and walls that were sure to fall with enough force from the right spell. Marth was guarding one door, he and Chrom the other, while Lissa and the Exalt were in the room, ready to intervene and heal when necessary.

The Exalt had a Physic staff on her, while Lissa had somehow managed to get her hands on both a Rescue and a Warp staff with high durability enchantments to add to her own Heal staff.

They didn't have any siege tomes, but, luckily, neither did their enemy.

Most of their foes were assassins or thieves, with the occasional dark mages and fighters in the group. Few of them were actually experienced enough to be a threat they couldn't deal with.

He struck down an assassin.

An advantage. The assassins weren't expecting them to react this quickly. That, and they were more familiar with the battlefield than their aggressors.

He gave his orders.

Everyone ran off.

Good. They needed to take positions as quickly as possible.

Ryoko and Levi were still somewhere on the grounds that he couldn't see and Frederick and Phila were still stuck downstairs fending off the rest.

Or maybe the two Dragons _were_ in his sight, but hidden for some unknown reason. Knowing them, they would likely have gone after the leader if they were outside.

Knowing them, they would have tried to get close, got busted, improvised and somehow managed to escape with info and juicy blackmail. He wouldn't be surprised if that happened. Pissed off, yes. But not surprised.

They would start off close to the doors, then steadily form a wider line of defense.

Chrom and Daraen were closest to Marth at the moment, fighting side by side to keep the assassins at a good distance.

He sighed as he took out another one with his Thunder.

About ten down, dozens and dozens more to go.

Damn it.

.

She hastily made her way up the stairs, using her superior strength to take out the weaker men-spawn that were assaulting the one her clan owed a debt to.

Her mission had not gone smoothly.

The wretched man who commanded the attackers may have been tainted, but his skills with magic were still sharp to have been able to sense her through the natural cloaking she used.

The energies inside her, especially those that connected to her transformation, alerted her to the danger he represented. Murderer, betrayer, defiler, _Forsaken_.

She had quickly dispatched of those he sent after her, of course. Not that he noticed when, minutes later, a pair that was not unlike the two unfortunate men-spawn she killed.

They were hard to pinpoint exactly, but the damned Forsaken was convinced of their identity as her very dead attackers even after they spoke, likely without any idea of what he wanted.

She wanted to scoff.

She didn't, of course. She was not idiotic enough to bring attention onto herself while she was sneaking in through the fighting to settle her debt.

The Forsaken was a fool.

Beings of shadows, they were, but the two were so clearly different that it was not hard at all to see. His surprised scream when they inevitably attacked was only confirmation of a fact.

This time, she _did_ scoff. "Look at these man-spawn clawing at each other like savages! Pathetic. I will repay my debt and wash my hands of their race."

She narrowly avoided a ball of thunder, which ended up killing one fool who followed her up.

She tensed.

Before her, a blue-haired man and a silver-haired male with incredible natural power stared.

"Another assassin?" she heard the blue one mutter in clear frustration.

"Hold!" someone else shouted urgently from behind a wall, "Panne is not your enemy!"

She tensed. How did someone know her name?

The silver one seemed to dismiss her at those words and resumed taking down the attackers, either by blade or thunder.

"You know her?" the blue one asked.

"I know… of her." The same voice from before replied. By the scent, it was of a female man-spawn. "And I knew she would come here tonight."

The blue one rolled his eyes and resumed defending the door he had been guarding. "Quite the prophet, aren't you?"

"As you say." The female replied flatly, "I assure you, she is as much your ally as are those two menaces at the back entrance."

"Of course they tried to bait the leader." The silver one muttered.

Panne decided that enough was enough and resumed attacking anyone who had the taint of the Forsaken of them.

"So she'll fight with us, but it's a toss up if she'll follow orders or do her own thing." The blue one concluded. "Most likely do her own thing."

The silver one laughed cheerily. "Less chattering, more killing, Chrom! There guys look like they aren't gonna give up anytime soon!"

He then shouted loudly, "You heard the prophet-lady, guys! Let Panne be if she comes near you!"

.

Daraen winced when he noticed Chrom buried Falchion into a wall, nearly taking off a man's head.

He knew the blade was sharp for its chosen wielder, but even this was ridiculous!

"Drop your weapon, or die where you stand!" Chrom threatened angrily.

The man, an orange-haired thief from what little he could see, paled and raised his hands in a placating gesture. "E-Easy there, blue blood. I'm not here to hurt anyone."

He could have sworn Chrom growled. "And yet you're with a band of assassins."

Daraen kept half an eye on them, but focused on taking out said assassins.

"Believe it or not, just trying to make a living." The man said, nervously eying Falchion, "I'm a thief, see? Bust open doors, crack into chests… that kind of thing. This lot said they wanted to break into some type of vault. Nobody said anything about murder. I'd just as soon sit this one out."

He electrocuted someone across the corridor and glanced at Chrom, who looked like he was contemplating something.

Chrom met his stare. _What?_

Daraen gave him a flat look. _You're gonna do_ that _again._

The prince ignored him and turned back to the thief, "Then perhaps you'd be willing to prove your good intentions?"

"Beg pardon?" the thief asked, clearly confused when Chrom backed off.

He was also slightly intimidated by how he took Falchion out of the wall like it was nothing. Daraen certainly had been the first time it happened, and they were friends.

"We need all the help we can get to save the Exalt's life." Chrom explained calmly as he broke a fire spell aimed at him, "You appear capable, and we could use any information you have about our foes."

The thief gulped audibly at the display.

Daraen didn't think it was anything special. Not after Ryoko's insane idea to have multiple free-for-all fights between all the Shepherds to prepare for the Tournament.

"Oh, right!" the thief exclaimed, " _Those_ good intentions. Fine then, I'll prove my sincerity… if you sweeten the deal."

"You want gold?" Chrom growled, but sighed. "…Fine, you scoundrel. Let me just—"

He stumbled as he dodged an assassin's blade, which caused something to fall from his belt when the sword nearly clipped it.

Daraen unleashed a new barrage of spells and cleared out the corridor.

"Looks like you dropped something. What's in the satchel, mmm?" the thief asked as he picked up said fallen satchel.

"Nothing— candies from my little sister." Chrom replied, clearly annoyed, "I'm sure you—"

"Candies?" the thief repeated eagerly, "As in, sugar candies?"

"You carry candies into the battlefield?" Daraen questioned, raising an eyebrow.

Damn. He knew the unholy alliance between the two menaces and Lissa wasn't good for their sanity even for the three days it had been in effect, but he didn't think it was _that_ bad.

If the thief ended up doing what he thought he was about to do….

"Well…" Chrom replied, unsure of where this was going, "I _assume_ they are? I mean—"

"IT'S A DEAL!" the thief shouted eagerly.

Daraen facepalmed. He added a groan for good measure when he realized that Chrom was actually _surprised_.

The man in question blinked. "…You'll risk your life for us if I give you… a bag of candy?"

"I said 'sweeten the deal', didn't I?" the thief said matter-of-factly, "Don't get me wrong, I'll take the gold, too. Later. Unless you've got more of these." He paused, "…Have you got more of these?"

Chrom hesitated. "I'll ask Lissa."

Daraen blamed what he was about to say on the madness that came with living in close quarters with two prankster Dragons and the Shepherds for an extended period of time being contagious.

"If you two old ladies are done gossiping…" he turned and decapitated an assassin, "…we still _are_ in the middle of an assassination attempt, you know?"

Chrom had the decency to blush a little before rejoining the fight.

As a minor act of vengeance, Daraen gave minimal back up and instead turned to the thief.

"In case the hair wasn't obvious, that was Chrom." The tactician deadpanned. "I'm Daraen. Piss me off and you'll find yourself on the wrong side of an Arcthunder."

It wasn't a Thoron because he couldn't cast it without the incantation just yet. It was only a matter of time, though.

The thief paled at the casual threat. "Gaius."

Then, almost faster than he could follow, the thief whipped out a knife and threw it, which buried itself in the head of an assassin that had been about to injure the blue-haired prince.

Daraen blinked. "Good aim." He said cheerfully, "Welcome aboard!"

With that, he jumped into the fray again.

" _ **I am the flames of life! The blood of my spirit! Come forth, Soulfire!**_ "

The chant echoed through the corridors, in both Ryoko and Levi's voices.

He looked at the area to see where they were.

What he saw amazed him.

Levi was surrounded by small blackish flames, covering Ryoko's back.

And the blue-haired woman herself… she stood proudly, flames of pure silver surrounding her entire body and forming a pair of large wings, which were somehow sustaining her in flight through the taller passages and rooms.

The flames on her hair had gained a blue tinge, making it look as if it was longer and faded to white at the end, while the flames on Drexion changed between azure and a dark blue as she used it to shoot different energy projectiles.

An assassin came at her from the side, but she drew her second sword, which was immediately surrounded by the same blue flames, and blocked the attack effortlessly.

"Snap out of it!" Chrom shouted, breaking him from his daze.

Daraen shook his head, disoriented for a moment, "Sorry. Got distracted."

"I'll say." The prince commented, "What happened?"

"Ryoko and Levi are using Soulfire." He stated, "And it's _awesome_."

"That's, like, a really difficult spell, isn't it?" Gaius asked curiously. "Difficult as in 'almost nobody can do it well' difficult, not 'it costs tons of magic to cast' difficult."

It was only a matter of time before the assassins were either all killed or fled, and Ryoko deactivated her Soulfire, almost falling to the ground in exhaustion if it wasn't for Levi holding her up.

Soon enough, she could stand on her own two feet and the two Dragons started looting the corpses, taking small medallions from some of the assassins' necks.

.

"Thank the gods you're safe!" Chrom told his older sister, clearly relieved.

"It is you I have to thank, Chrom." Emmeryn replied, "You and the Shepherds were the ones to defend me from the assassins."

"I beg your forgiveness, milord!" Phila pleaded of Chrom, "I failed in my duty. They should have never made it into the castle in the first place, yet all I could do was keep more from coming after you."

"Peace, Phila." The blue-haired prince told her. "You couldn't have known what was coming. Only Marth could…."

"Besides," Levi added, "you _did_ protect the Exalt, even if indirectly. There were a few times that we were getting overwhelmed for a moment, and had you and Frederick not been down there fighting off more assassins and preventing them from coming up, there's a good chance that we would be in mourning now."

"…Marth?" Emmeryn asked, mostly ignoring Levi, who pouted.

"Yes, I would speak more with…" Chrom trailed off, looking for the woman in question, "Um… Daraen, where's Marth?"

The silver-haired tactician hummed thoughtfully. "An excellent question. She was here a moment ago…."

"She and Ryoko went to the gardens for a moment." Levi said, "I think."

Because, really, you never knew with her. She might have used it for an excuse to go flying with Azura, for all he knew.

"Not again!" Chrom shouted, rushing out to find the mysterious swordswoman.

.

"Hey, Marth." Ryoko chirped, catching up with the woman, "Thanks for the help earlier!"

Marth nodded, "You and Levi did more than I have and you both saved my life quite a few times back there as well. We are more than even."

"Yeah, but you warned Chrom and prevented him from getting injured." The green-eyed Dragon rebutted stubbornly, "'Sides, you'll have Grimeal on your ass for a while. Lending you Azura for the night is the least I can do."

Reluctantly, Marth agreed to that.

"How is the Drexion this evolved?" she asked curiously, "In my future, it took you two wars to unlock it this far."

Ryoko stared at her with dead seriousness, "This is a secret to _everyone_."

Surprised by the intensity in her voice, Marth nodded.

"When I found 'Ren, I did because a spike in power led me to him." Ryoko told her quietly. "That got me to pay slightly more attention to Grima."

"Pay more attention to Grima?" Marth parroted, confused.

Ryoko nodded in confirmation. "I can hear him through the Seal 'cause my magic can't block him out all the time. So I used to ignore him. Then you came. Your arrival— or, rather, the Risen that followed, —forced us to work together. To really, truly communicate, not just trade barbs and insults."

She sighed. "I… I wouldn't have survived had he not convinced me to activate a safeguard of the Seal. After that, spending time with the Shepherds only helped us talk. You changed the future more than you realize, Marth."

She sighed, deep in thought for a moment, before she shook herself.

"Well, it's been nice meeting an alternate of the Hero-King, especially a female one." She said, saluting. "See ya!"

She disappeared with a small flash of light, leaving a baffled Marth behind.

.

Moments after Ryoko disappeared, Marth's path was blocked by Chrom.

"Going somewhere?" he asked, sounding slightly irritated. "You have a bad habit of leaving without saying goodbye, you know."

"Yes, I'm afraid I have a few bad habits." Marth shot back.

She needed to put as much distance as she could between herself and the palace before the Grimeal realized something was going on and wasted all her efforts.

"Good ones as well—" he told her, "you saved my life as well as both of my sisters. Is there a way I can repay you? Some favor I can grant?"

"Hearing you offer is reward enough." She replied sincerely.

Chrom appeared to be slightly puzzled by her words, but he didn't let it show beyond rising an eyebrow.

"But there must be something…." Chrom insisted.

"I already have what I came for: history has been rewritten." Marth replied.

"And what future was averted, then?" the blue-haired man inquired.

"After the Exalt's untimely assassination, the Fire Emblem would have been stolen." She answered darkly, "This, in turn, would lead to a great war, and soon to the end of mankind itself. …But I'm sure that sounds like madness to you."

Chrom chuckled. "Woman, I've been living with Ryoko and Levi. Seeing the future isn't exactly hard to believe after hearing some of their debates, especially if Miriel decides to join in. And, somehow, I know I can trust you."

"I should have known." Marth muttered in exasperation. Ryoko was always saying insane stuff in her time, why wouldn't she do it here as well?

After hearing the two speak casually of something they called the 'Hub World' and what they found in there, even the idea of a Risen arm with chicken wings sounded _sane_.

"Besides," Chrom told her, snapping her out of her memories, "I hope to someday be able to repay your favors."

"Perhaps someday you shall." Marth mused. "Until then…"

She left for the stables where she was almost certain Azura was waiting.

"Have fair travels, Marth." Chrom said.

Marth smiled before continuing on her way, waving her hand in farewell.

"Fair winds and good fortune to you and the Shepherds, Father. I'm sure you will need it."

The words, unheard by anyone, drifted to the winds.

.

Ryoko casually returned to where she had left Levi and the Exalt with her Flash ability, barely a minute after Chrom left.

In doing so, she startled a certain someone hiding in the shadows.

The woman who had been identified as Panne earlier by Marth came into view, standing proudly.

Ryoko casually noted that her brownish hair looked slightly like fur, while the white part of her twin tails was likely a pair of animal ears and the woman had a small tail on her backside, much like Ryoko and Levi had scales, fangs, wings and a tail when they bothered to use their Half forms.

The smatterings of fur on the woman's skin only confirmed Ryoko's theory.

Her eyes widened in surprise, but she didn't react otherwise, trying to discern which Clan she belonged to.

"Brave Taguel, there are not words to express my gratitude." Emmeryn told the woman, confirming Ryoko's suspicions.

"So you _are_ from one of the Beast-Shifter Clans." Levi muttered, "I knew I sensed something earlier."

"So you know our true name?" the Taguel woman asked the Exalt, acting as if she didn't hear the man's comment.

"Sorry, what's a Taguel?" Daraen asked, earning a slap upside the head from an annoyed Ryoko.

"Shape-shifters, like the Laguz of Ike's legend." She hissed at him, "Now shut up unless you quit being rude."

"I am a Taguel." Panne told him, "The… The last Taguel. We are shape-shifters. Most of your kind called us 'beast' or 'coney' in the midst of their hunt. I only helped you because my warren owes Ylisse a debt. Do not think us friends, you and I!"

The last part was said in an irritated tone and was intended as a warning.

"T-The last?!" Ryoko exclaimed, shocked. "I knew the Clans went into hiding around the same time as Dragons, but I had no idea… damn…."

"Yes, there is precious little you humans seem to care about." Panne said scratchily. "It was men-spawn like you that invaded our warren and slaughtered my people."

Before Ryoko or Levi could snap back a reply, Emmeryn spoke.

"What?!" she exclaimed, horrified, "Is this true? Who would do such a thing?"

Panne scoffed, "Ha! Do not act so shocked. You are all the same. Right down to your base desire to ruin and destroy all you touch, even each other."

Ryoko hissed quietly, offended.

It was her damned duty to keep the world from being torched by an insane Dragon, and it ruined her life! She had no right to—!

"There is truth to your words, perhaps." Emmeryn said somberly, "I'm told that, in Taguel society, everyone is treated as an equal. Mankind could have learned much from your warren. The words may come too late and mean too little, but I am deeply sorry. We have stolen your friends and family and made the world a lesser place."

"Your Grace, you had no fault in this!" Phila protested the Exalt's words.

"You claim to be blameless, and yet you would apologize?" Panne scoffed, "Pah! Your words are but wind."

"I know…." Emmeryn admitted sorrowfully, "But they are all I have."

The last Taguel was silent, thinking for a moment.

"You seem sincere, man-spawn." She decided, "You feel my pain as your own. …I've never felt that before. Look at me. See what I am. I will never trust mankind. But you…. Perhaps you truly are not like the others."

"All I ask is a chance to earn your trust." The Exalt said.

Deciding that the conversation was over, Ryoko used her strength to force Panne to look directly at her and hissed dangerously.

"Now you, listen, and listen well, because this is the only warning you'll get from me." She all but growled, "You can insult humans and whoever you want, but You. Will. Not. Imply. That. I. Wish. To. Forsake. My. Duty. Are we clear?"

The Taguel took a few tense seconds to realize what she was talking about, but then paled and hastily nodded.

"Y-Yes!" Panne agreed, "Perfectly clear!"

Ryoko humphed irritably. "Good. You want to take your sob story out on someone, take it out on the Grimeal. They probably had everything to do with it."

"Perhaps you can explain what you have against the Grimeal, Ryoko?" Emmeryn asked, trying to diffuse the tension.

The two Dragons glanced at one another for a moment, seemingly coming to a decision.

"Most, if not all, Dragons have it out for the Grimeal cult." Levi said. "Manaketes tended to dislike them as well before they mostly disappeared."

"There are two reasons for that." Ryoko continued. "First of all, the Grimeal cultists kidnap and/or kill any Dragon-Blooded that they find, even if they are mostly human or Manaketes, in an attempt to destroy or corrupt the Seal Holder."

"The second reason is more complicated." Levi picked up for Ryoko, as he had more knowledge of the subject. "I trust that you all are aware of how the Hero-King sealed the Fell Dragon Grima?"

Emmeryn, Phila, Daraen, Lissa, Panne and Chrom, who had just come in, nodded. _Everyone_ knew that legend.

"It didn't happen." Ryoko said quietly. "Grima was not a monster of mass destruction as the legends claim. He was once Grimlok, the Guardian Dragon, Nagi's companion, and one of the most respected men in Akaneia. He was married and with three children around twenty— that's extremely young for a Dragon, even if only half-blooded like them."

"A group of sorcerers managed to capture him then." Levi piped in. "Grimlok's kids and Nagi found out too late. He was either possessed or driven to insanity— or both. They were forced to flee and Naga's Fang was broken beyond repair."

"They separated then." Ryoko continued, "Grimlock's children asked Tiki to aid the Hero-King in stopping Grima while they retrieved the Fire Emblem and the Gemstones. Nagi brought the broken Falchion before Naga, who sacrificed herself to reforge the blade into what it is now."

"Nagi herself became the current Divine Dragon." Levi added, "The Guardian Dragon's duties also temporarily fell onto her, until someone else will _finally_ inherit them."

"Grimlok's children helped Marth seal Grima, who had gathered more followers— the Grimeal, who twisted the man's ideals." Ryoko told them. "Me and Levi follow those teachings, as do most Dragons and a good chunk of the Plegian villages: Family, Protect and Defend."

"True Family," Levi explained, "not that of blood but that of friendships and love, always comes before our individual needs. Life is precious, therefore we must Protect all life when we can. Not everyone is strong, so we must Defend those who cannot fight for themselves from those who wish them harm."

"It sounds like what the priests of Naga teach." Chrom commented.

Both Dragons nodded.

"That's because Grimlok and Nagi set the three basics together, but disagreed on how they should be upheld." Ryoko said, "For example, Grimlok, who was an orphan, believed that blood did not dictate family, but the closeness of our Ties with people. Nagi, instead, believed that to be related in blood to someone was to have a responsibility towards them."

"Grimlok was a lot like Ryoko here, according to the texts." Levi told them jokingly, "Only male and without the craziness that seems to come to her because she crosses worlds occasionally."

"And you're like his wife, only more annoying." Ryoko muttered darkly, though there was an amused smile on her face.

Levi glared at her. "Anyways, Nagi was actually a lot like Exalt Emmeryn, from what I could gather. She tried to reason with everyone, even those who would abuse her trust, and her people loved her for her forgiving nature."

"One thing she couldn't ever forgive, though." Ryoko said, "She couldn't forgive herself for allowing Grimlok to be captured, even though there was nothing she could have done to prevent it."

She knew. That memory appeared often in her dreams, along with the one where he forged Drexion, the Falchion's counterpart.

"The swords Ryoko and Chrom wield come from the two oldest Dragons still in existence." Levi added, "They are Grimlok's Claw and Naga's Fang respectively."

"…And they were both used to Seal Grima," Ryoko finished, "using the youngest child as a focus, unknown to everyone but the first Ravenfall himself. The Grimeal cult wants nothing more than to release the Seal and let the Fell Dragon loose upon the world once more.

"And it is something I will never allow as long as I draw breath."

.

It was dark.

The sorcerer couldn't see anything no matter where he looked.

He could feel nothing but the pain of his injuries and an immense rage that he had been killed when he still had not completed his mission. When he was so close to taking the Emblem and had finally found the missing piece….

The sorcerer groaned, a mix of pain and rage.

"How?! My purpose is too significant… to be thwarted… here…."

The darkness shifted.

Not much, but enough that the sorcerer could make out a figure standing over him.

His name drifted in the darkness, sounding dark and twisted in the other's mouth.

"What?" the sorcerer asked confusedly, "Who are you…. Where did you… come from?"

" _ **I am the power that compels you. You will not perish here. It is not written. You must live on to author a destiny greater than you know.**_ "

The voice, familiar to the sorcerer's mind, echoed with a dark promise. A promise of destruction.

"I-impossible! It can't be you! It can't be…"

Fear, awe and a tinge of excitement briefly flashed through the sorcerer.

There was no way. He had failed, and there hadn't been any crack, no matter how minuscule, since their cause had first been thwarted.

" _ **I am the wings of despair. I am the breath of ruin.**_ "

The next words were said barely in a whisper, but their dangerous echo still burned itself in the sorcerer's mind.

And all he knew was immense pain.

.

"It will take time to investigate how the assassination plot got so far. We have no leads at present." Phila declared once everything had finally calmed down.

Ryoko yawned tiredly.

"It was Plegia!" Chrom exclaimed, "I'm sure of it. They'd do anything for the Emblem. Emm, you can't stay here. Come to Ferox where it's safe."

"Ten gold that it was the Grimeal." Levi bet.

Daraen was not foolish enough to shake on it. He recognized the symbol on those medallions they burned.

"And leave the people undefended?" Emmeryn countered Chrom's plea, "War is at our borders, Chrom. Do you expect Ylisse to stand against Plegia without a leader? They must know their Exalt stands with them."

"But if something happens to you?" the blue-haired prince asked urgently, "What then?"

"Your Grace, perhaps you might relocate to the eastern palace for the time being?" Frederick suggested, "The other kingdoms know nothing of it. You would be safer."

"Yes, please." Chrom agreed, "At least that. I can't leave for Ferox with you right in harm's way."

Emmeryn considered her possibilities and her brother and Frederick's proposition, humming thoughtfully.

"Very well." She consented.

"Thanks, Emm. I mean it. We'll escort you to the palace before we head north to the border."

With that, everyone went off to bed, but not before Ryoko, Levi and Daraen managed to start a betting pool on the subject.

It was honestly baffling how many people believed that the Mad King had enough brains to organize such a complicated assassination ploy.

* * *

 **And there it was! One of the hardest chapters I've edited so far. Chapter 19 is getting the top spot.**

 **Now, notes! The first scene was Gaius. He'll get more screen time later. Writing him is fun and extremely confusing. If you've seen Sully and Lon'qu's supports, you'll see that he can approach women when it's a life-or-death kind of thing, so I feel the second scene is entirely justified. Also, it was just a few seconds.**

 **I hope Daraen's strategy was decent enough, but I honestly have no idea of how one would go about defending a room from assassins. Also, Lissa's Warp staff is actually canon. I found it in the wiki, and it's basiccally Rescue in reverse. Go look it up.**

 **As you can see, I made a certain sorcerer a blind idiot for now. Panne can tell because of her superior sense of smell and the fact that she killed the two who Ryoko and Levi accidentally replaced.**

 **Also, if Daraen comes off as slightly unhinged in this chapter, it's intentional. His heritage is part of the reason. Another part of the reason is the unholy alliance between Ryoko, Levi and Lissa and the two Dragons' talks with Miriel. It's also why he isn't _too_ surprised that Gaius joined for a bunch of candies.**

 **The incantation for Soulfire was made up on the spot, and I couldn't come up with anything better that still sounded badass, so that one stayed. The spell itself is basically a fire barrier, a continous Ignis and instant overpowered fire attacks rolled into one, and its strength and proprieties rely on the user's nature. For example, Ryoko's Soulfire is slightly electrical, boosts her speed and strength, lets her fly and has the same effects of Purify. Levi's deals massive amounts of damage and can mimic the effect of Nosferatu.**

 **Marth slipped up again in her conversation with Ryoko. As for why this was ignored, Ryoko thinks that Marth is a version of the Hero-King. She also thinks that she's some country girl who descended from some illegitimate child and that blue hair is not _that_ rare. Look at the character roster. Out of thirty characters there's five redheads, four blonds, two people with blue hair, two with green, one with orange, one with _pink_ , and two with _white_ hair of all things and only two of them are not humans.**

 **But who was the mysterious voice that revived the sorcerer? What will happen next? And what are Gangrel's plans?**

 **Keep reading to find out! Until next time!**


	18. Incursion

**Guess what, my dear readers? I found a decent free wifi hotspot! I can give you your updates!**

 **There's quite a few new characters, mostly OCs based on past FE Pegasus Knights. I don't own any of them. I just borrowed them for my own purposses.**

 **Well, I'll leave you to the chapter now. Enjoy!**

* * *

 _ **Fire Emblem: Dragon's Claw**_

 **~ Chapter 16 ~**

 **Incursion**

"I win this one!" Ryoko said smugly for the umpteenth time that day.

They had been running forward in short bursts and stopping to spar until everyone caught up, much to their annoyance.

Levi sighed resignedly, "It's useless. I still can't win…."

Ryoko smirked. "Yup!"

Seeing the depressed look on Levi's face, she smiled happily, "You're still really good, though!"

The purple-haired man's expression didn't change.

"No, I'm not." He denied. "You kick my ass every time."

"You last longer than anyone else." The blue-haired Dragon pointed out. "And longer than before. _And_ you almost had me a few times."

"Really?" he questioned disbelievingly, "I'm terrible one-on-one."

"Well, now you're good." She stated matter-of-factly. "'Sides, I'm rather proud to call you my battle partner."

Levi smiled, relieved. "Thanks, Ryoko."

Ryoko smiled widely, revealing her sharp teeth in a happy grin. "You're welcome."

She thought for a second before adding, "How about we take a break from sparring and head into town next time?"

The suggestion brought a silly smile to Levi's face.

"I'd be happy to accompany you." He agreed.

"You'd follow me anyways." The green-eyed Dragon teased lightly.

"Of course, milady." The red-eyed man teased right back.

Before either of them could say anything, the Shepherds came into view, Chrom, Daraen, Lissa, Emmeryn, Frederick, Phila and a priest at the forefront of the group.

Ryoko and Levi sheathed their swords simultaneously.

"Ugh, my poor feet." Lissa whined. "I've got blisters the size of eggs!"

"Oh, it's not so bad, Lissa." Chrom waved her off. "Just a healthy little stroll! How are you holding up, Daraen?"

"My legs feel like pudding…." The silver-haired tactician grouched, "I expected it from the two crazies, but your endurance astounds me, Chrom."

The man in question barked a laugh.

"Should I carry you, then?" he teased.

"You can carry _me_!" Lissa piped in. After a beat, she added, "…No, seriously. I would really be okay with you carrying me."

Ryoko and Levi chuckled. They could really imagine Chrom carrying Daraen so safety, the tactician wearing a dress and with long hair, like a damsel in distress… only he was still a man, hairy legs and all, and trashing and protesting all the while, while Lissa whined that _she_ wasn't the one being carried.

The funny thing was, they could totally see a female version of Daraen marrying Chrom and being perfectly alright with being carried by the prince. Also, it made Ryoko think of Chrom being his oblivious self and walking into the women's bath, for some strange reason.

Back to the matter at hand, Ryoko reached out with her magic, brushing it against the group catching up to them.

She felt the Hierarch startle at it and project a storm of anxiousness and anticipation.

"Is something troubling you, Hierarch?" Frederick asked the priest, "You keep glancing up at the peaks."

"Oh," the man replied nervously, "I'm just a b-bit nervous I'm afraid. Gh-ghastly times, these!"

"Sure." Ryoko drawled, walking to meet with the group. "Real nasty."

She stopped near Frederick. "He's been getting too anxious for my liking. Be wary, he might have brought wolves upon us."

The Great Knight raised an eyebrow, but nodded once he understood the whispered warning. "Tell the others, if you will. We'll be ready for them, this time."

With a curt nod, Ryoko left for the back lines, where Kamui and Kana were waiting with the others, flashing her Sky-Eyes to Daraen in a subtle suggestion of keeping an eye out for their surroundings.

Levi following behind her, Ryoko quickly and smoothly moved between the soldiers, warning everyone of the Shepherds that there was possible trouble brewing.

Now they just would have to wait.

.

The border patrol was a boring, monotonous task, but it was easily done on top of a Pegasus.

Even more boring was, for the redheaded Pegasus Knight, the even slower pace they set in the time the Exalt would be absent from the public.

She reveled in that boredom, content to know that there were no problems that required their attention. Because problems that required it could very well mean a war was brewing.

Unfortunately for her, this particular day was not to be as boring as she would have liked.

She had been tending to her Pegasus, Aurora, when the alarm was raised.

Without thinking much of the whys and hows, she jumped on Aurora's saddle, checking that she still had her lance and some supplies with her just in case.

The Pegasus, sensing her rider's urgency, took to the skies quickly, heading towards where the others were gathered.

"Cordelia!" her Wing-Leader shouted, "Get into position, quickly! Plegians are at our doors!"

"Plegians?!" the redhead Knight exclaimed, "First they attempt to murder our Exalt, and now this?! Damn them all!"

"Aye!" a green-haired Knight agreed hotly, "Damned bastards!"

Others among the women voiced their agreement more or less loudly, but they were all focused on their task.

"Wyverns, approaching fast!" their sentry warned, "Be careful, girls!"

"What do we do, Farina?" the green-haired woman asked.

"For now, we wait, Frau." The Wing-Leader said patiently, "We needn't lose our home field advantage to satisfy hot tempers. Let them come to us. We will hold them off while one of you will warn the Exalt if things go south."

The whole Wing shouted an agreement and readied themselves for battle.

.

Levi huffed to himself, clearly annoyed. He knew that there was something fishy with the Hierarch, but he didn't know it was going to turn out like this.

Oh, he was expecting the ambush, alright.

He just was not expecting the Grimeal hiding among the troops severely limiting his freedom to battle. He didn't want to bring the cultists down on their asses any more than necessary, and revealing his power to the bastards was not necessary at all.

Cutting down one of the bandits trying to sneak around their back lines, he frowned as he remembered the events before.

 _He and Ryoko were shamelessly overhearing the conversations up front with a clever combination of Ryoko's sensory magic, their Sky-Eyes and a Partial transformation to gain their Dragon hearing._

 _The purple-haired man wanted to be ready for a possible ambush before it but them in the ass, quite literally._

 _They heard Chrom's surprised shout well enough as he avoided what was likely an ax from some bandit._

 _Said bandit laughed, "Time to die, princey!"_

 _"Plegian soldiers!" Chrom shouted, blocking the ax. "Damn it all, how did they know we were here?"_

 _The bandit was killed shortly after._

 _"Everyone, prepare for battle!" Chrom shouted urgently._

 _Ryoko glanced at Levi. He shook his head. Summoning was not a good idea, and calling Azura would put them at a disadvantage for now._

 _They needed to stay close together._

 _"Hold, sir!" they heard the Hierarch shout, "I am the man King Gangrel told you about! Did you not receive orders to take me into your protection?"_

 _"I've orders to protect a man, true…." An unfamiliar voice said, "But I see no man here! …Only a pig! A rasher of traitorous bacon that sold out his own sovereign! And what do we do with little piggies, mmm?"_

 _Levi would be inclined to agree that the man was a pig, but he thought that the description would be offending to the pigs themselves. Personally, he believed that the priest resembled a rat more._

 _He also thought that this was likely the commander of this whole ambush and, judging from the wingbeats obscuring his voice, he was also a Wyvern Rider._

 _The traitor stuttered something that was too low for him to hear, but he was sure that the man was cowering and pleading for his life._

 _"Oh, are you a chicken now? Bawk bawk!" the other man taunted, "We've a whole barnyard in our midst! Well, it don't matter what you are. The ax will fall just the same!"_

 _As if on cue, there was the Hierarch's terrified screech, the sound of an ax breaking bones and the thump of a body hitting the ground._

 _"Right!" the commander shouted, sounding satisfied, "Now for the main event. By moon's end, they'll be erecting statues of me in the capital! Ho there! Ylisseans! Give me the Fire Emblem and your wench of a ruler, and spare yourselves a gory end!"_

 _"Phila, take Emmeryn to the rear of the column. We'll fend off these blackguards!" Chrom shouted, "And tell those two menaces to get their asses up here!"_

Another bandit was cut down, while a bunch of them fell to Ryoko's barrage of Thunder and Split Thunder spells, which, while not on par with what she could use with a Partial active, did their job well enough.

Phila and Emmeryn arrived moments later, but the two Dragons couldn't move without giving the Plegians an opening, as most of Phila's Wing was busy fending off the Wyvern Riders.

"Chrom needs you two up front!" Phila shouted.

"I know!" Ryoko replied as she fried another bandit, "But they're attacking from the back as well and your Wing is too busy to take our place!"

With a resigned sigh, Levi started drawing on his Shadowgift and cursing the soldiers attacking them.

There was no time for games and competitions. He would use his best spells right from the start.

Besides him, he noticed Ryoko shifting her grip on Drexion and changing it to a sort of bladed staff and grimaced.

If his battle partner was going to use the long-ranged forms of the Claw, they were in serious shit. Even more since it was the Staff form.

.

Farina was panicking internally.

They wouldn't manage to hold the border for long. But they needed to buy some time.

"Mather, Frau, Verna!" she called, and the three Knights immediately devoted their attention to her, finishing off their foes quickly.

"If you get the chance, flee." Farina ordered. "You three are young. Do not waste your lives needlessly for an unbeatable battle."

"But, Wing-Leader Farina—!" Mather protested.

"No." The Wing-Leader cut her off. "You can help in this war, but only if you live through it. There is no shame in retreat when victory is impossible."

The azure-haired woman was ready to argue, but a bowman aiming for them caught her attention first. "Verna! To your right!"

"On it!" the orange-haired Knight shouted, swooping down and smoothly killing the archer with a thrown javelin.

"Cordelia!" Farina called again. The woman in question finished off the Wyvern Rider she was engaging and flew Aurora to her.

"Yes, Farina?" the redhead asked.

"I need you to take Aurora, as many supplies as you can spare to, and fly as fast as you can to the Exalt." She ordered firmly. "Warn her that enemy reinforcements are on their way."

"NO!" Cordelia shouted. "I refuse to abandon my Wing-Sisters!"

Catria threw herself between Cordelia and an arrow, as the woman watched her fall in pure horror.

"CATRIA!" she cried out.

"We'll hold them off for you!" Marcia shouted, "Fly! Quickly, Wing-Sister, before they overwhelm us!"

"It's an order, Cordelia!" Farina shouted.

"B-But—" Cordelia protested.

"GO, NOW!" the Wing-Leader repeated, this time more forcefully

Reluctantly, Cordelia obeyed the order, steering Aurora east towards the eastern palace, where the Exalt was heading for.

Farina turned back to the battle with a sigh.

"Wing-Sisters, it's been an honor serving with you all." She said, raising her lance and preparing a spell. "Now, let's buy the Exalt some time!"

It was high time she showed these invaders why she was called Farina the Stormbringer.

The Pegasus Knights of the Bluewings fought their best to hold off the Plegian invaders, but they were eventually overwhelmed.

.

Ryoko was fighting fiercely to protect the Exalt from the bandits and soldiers trying their luck in an attack from the rear when she heard the frenetic wingbeats and a woman screaming at somebody.

"Levi!" she called, shifting Drexion into Ax form, "Cover for me!"

She whistled loudly, calling Azura to herself, and she was off a moment later to look for the source of the commotion.

"Don't take too long!" Levi shouted at her.

.

"Come on, girl!" Cordelia shouted at Aurora, "Hold on just a little longer! We're nearly there!"

She was cut off by a Wyvern, which they barely avoided in time.

The redhead woman fought to regain her breath, noticing the battle going on.

"No!" she shouted despairingly, "Plegians here as well?! Prince Chrom! Captain Phila!"

She shouted as an ax buried itself in her shoulder, making her fall from Aurora, but she couldn't do much more. The exhaustion and blood loss from that morning had left her with little energy.

She dazedly closed her eyes as she fell, idly noticing the massive dark blue Wyvern diving towards her, and that its rider had used a wind spell on her attacker.

"Come on, Azura!" she heard the blue Wyvern's rider shout in encouragement, "Faster!"

The Wyvern replied with an annoyed screech, and there was no other sound than the wind for a few blessed moments.

Something brushed her arm, causing her to open her eyes.

Before Cordelia, reaching towards her with look of fierce determination, a blue-haired, green-eyed young man dressed in what was definitively not a riding uniform of any kind. He looked kind of like a younger Chrom.

"I'm not letting you die!" he shouted, and Cordelia found herself believing those words.

With a final burst of speed, the man caught her firmly and pulled them both backward in the air, slowing their fall just enough that the Wyvern, Azura, caught up in her dive.

Still holding on to her, the green-eyed Wyvern Rider grabbed the harness and positioned them on the saddle before Azura pulled out of the dive just before hitting the ground, barely managing a smooth landing in front of a purple-haired man.

"Woman, quit giving me so many heart attacks!" the man shouted.

The Rider, apparently a boyish-looking woman, stopped for a moment to glare at the man. "Shut up, Levi. Would you rather she died?"

When the man, Levi, did not reply at the venomous tone used by Cordelia's savior, the woman directed Azura forward. The Wyvern obeyed, rushing in a mix of gliding and running.

"Lady Emerina!" the woman shouted, "Phila!"

It wasn't long before they stopped and the Rider dismounted smoothly, still holding onto Cordelia.

"Is that…" the commander of the Pegasus Knights exclaimed, "Gods, Cordelia?! What happened?"

"She was being chased by someone." Ryoko reported, "She was caught in the shoulder by another Wyvern Rider and fell, me and Azura barely got to her in time."

The Exalt was already crouching by the wounded woman, instructing Ryoko to remove the ax and healing her wounds with the Mend staff.

"Yes, we saw that." Phila said dryly. "Cordelia, can you tell us why are you here? Are the Plegians…"

Cordelia nodded grimly, not needing her commander to finish the sentence.

"Enemy reinforcements are coming." She informed them, her voice shaky, "They will be upon us soon."

She was prevented from giving further details when Ryoko let out an impressive, if brief, string of curses.

Then, moments later, the green-eyed woman became extremely serious and the Pegasus Knight could see her mind was working extremely fast to find a solution.

"Levi!" she shouted, "Get your ass to Chrom and tell him we need Sumia and either Ricken or Virion here, and we need them _now_!"

The blue-haired woman turned to her. "Can you still fight?"

Cordelia nodded.

"Good." Was the other woman's reply, "My name is Ryoko. Or Roy. I answer to that, too."

"Cordelia." The Knight replied, taken aback by the woman's intensity. "I've heard of you."

And she had, now that she thought about it. A wandering mercenary, who defended villages from bandits in exchange for merely a night at the inn and some food, but never more than what they were willing to offer.

"What's with the Wyvern?" she asked, "Weren't you a swordsman? …Swordswoman, whatever."

"I'll explain later." Ryoko said. "For now, we need to hold off these guys until the cavalry arrives."

"Right." Cordelia agreed.

Aurora, slightly frazzled, landed next to her, putting herself protectively between her and Azura.

She couldn't see it, but Ryoko raised her hands in a nonthreatening gesture.

"I won't harm you or your partner." The woman said softly. "However, the ones after you won't hesitate to kill her and many others. Will you help, please?"

Cordelia was not sure which surprised her most, the fact that Ryoko calmed Aurora from a protective rage, or the the way in which the Pegasus reacted.

Hearing the screeching of Wyverns, the two women mounted their respective partners and took flight.

.

Levi ran frenetically, swiftly dodging the Shepherds and Ylissean soldiers as he made his way towards the front of the column.

He stopped to raise a barrier as a particularly strong Elfire was about to kill five Ylisseans and sent a bullet of compressed flames back at the mage before moving on.

He briefly flickered his Sky-Eyes to check on Ryoko and the redhead and to see how far he still had to go.

It wasn't much.

He hastened his pace a little, drawing his sword for close combat and ruing the day he had sold his rapier to be able to spend the night at an inn.

He made a Grimeal trip so that he fell at a random soldier's blade.

"Levi!" He heard Daraen shout.

He couldn't see the tactician, so he guessed that he was using his Sky-Eyes to direct the battle up front and either leaving the back to Phila or issuing orders through the Pegasus Knights in the air.

He flickered his Sky-Eyes again and made a beeline for him.

As soon as he was in the silver-haired tactician's sight, he could tell the man was less than amused.

"What took you so long?!" he demanded, "And where's Ryoko?"

Levi took a moment to kill a few Plegians that were getting too close for comfort before answering.

"There's more attacking the back!" he replied, "A Knight arrived saying there's enemy reinforcements coming!"

Daraen started cursing.

Levi ignored it. "Ryoko says that we need Sumia and either Virion or Ricken, urgently!"

"There's _more_ Riders?!" Daraen screeched in annoyance, overpowering an Arcthunder.

"Reinforcements. Ryoko sensed them, I think." Levi reported dutifully, casually spamming Flux and Nosferatu on the Plegian forces.

Daraen toned his spells down to Elthunders, but kept overpowering them from either anger or annoyance. He probably would bring them down to Thunder soon, to conserve more energy.

"Go back, quickly! Virion, with him!" Daraen shouted his orders quickly, "Ricken, fall back a little! Sumia, go to the rear and keep the Wyverns from getting to the Exalt!"

Everyone snapped back an acknowledgment and Levi started running back towards Ryoko, making sure that the blue-haired archer was following him.

He briefly saw Sumia's Pegasus, Caeda, blur past them in the sky.

He pushed Virion to go faster.

The reinforcements could be here at any moment.

Ryoko was in danger.

* * *

 **Well, that's it for now. I'm evil and leaving this in a cliffhanger. Deal with it.**

 **Also, yay! Ryoko and Levi have reached B-support! Also, for those who _are_ wondering, Ryoko and Levi _would_ ship F!Robin and Chrom. The walking into the baths is a reference to their C-support. At least, I think it was the C-support.**

 **Aurora is the canon name for Cordy's Pegasus, according to the wiki, so I went with that. Mather, Verna, Frau, Farina and Catria are all somewhat-OCs based off their namesakes from the previous FE games. I thought I could elaborate on Cordy's escape, then added new recruits because patrol is something I imagine they did besides training, and it took a life of its own. Also, keep in mind that there's a _lot_ I'm not showing you there, and events are happening even as the action unfolds from others' POV.**

 **Yes, the flashback with Levi was neccessary. It gets the plot done while showing that Levi is so used to combat that he can stew on his annoyance while keeping enemies from killing him and the one he's protecting.**

 **Also, Drexion's different forms have different perks and drawbacks. For example, the Ax gives a massive Str boost, but lowers Def and Spd. The Sword boosts Spd and Str but requires insanely high Skill and lowers Mag. And the Staff gives a War Cleric/Priest-like built: high Mag and Res, some Str, but very low Def unless Dragonskin is active. Considering the sheer amount of drstruction Ryoko causes with the Sword form alone, you can see how her using the Staff means things are going to shit.**

 **Did you like Ryoko's insane rescue? It just _happened_. One moment there was a battle, the next Cordy fell and Ryoko was diving after her. That's also one of the changes caused by Ryoko's (and, to a lesser extenct, Levi's) presence. Certain Plegian generals will be more wary and send extra troops, hence the enemies attacking Emmeryn while most of the Pegasus Riders were in the skies.**

 **Levi spams Dark magic because he has Shadowgift and, if you remember, he's a _Shadow_ Dragon. Also, he seems awfully overprotective of Ryoko, right? Tell me what you think!**


	19. Taking Flight

**Hello again, my dear readers!**

 **Okay, warnings... trauma, cursing, trauma again, mentions of Wyvern abuse and stealing said Wyvern.**

 **Also, thanks to Abide for following my story! (And everyone else who still reads this even with how close to the game this is for now. This chapter will change a lot, I promise.)**

 **Last time, the Shepherds and Emmeryn were betrayed by the Hierarch. Caught in a massive ambush, they fight to protect the Exalt, but the sheer number of enemies makes it hard and Ryoko and Levi have to stay in the back. Meanwhile, Gangrel attacks the border, where a young Pegasus Knight is sent to warn the Exalt of the assault. Can our heroes win?**

 **Well, read to find out!**

* * *

 _ **Fire Emblem: Dragon's Claw**_

 **~ Chapter 17 ~**

 **Taking Flight**

Mather, Frau and Verna shivered under the wings of their Pegasi, terrified and trying to keep the echoes of their Wing-Sisters' screams out of their minds.

Ivis nuzzled her partner comfortingly, and Mather couldn't help a small smile.

"I'm fine, girl." She reassured the Pegasus, her wavy azure hair falling in her face even though she had tried to keep it out with her headband.

Frau was having more luck with keeping her short but thick hair away from her eyes, though to be fair, the green-haired woman's own headband was bigger.

Verna, the oldest of the three, though not be much, pet her own Pegasus in an effort to calm herself. Edith consented to the treatment, the battle they barely escaped alive having scared her as well.

Frau was having the worst time out of all of them, the orange-haired Knight noted distantly before returning to her coping mechanism.

The cheerful green-haired woman was a wreck, clinging to Skittle as hard as she could without hurting her partner and crying desperately.

Mather held back a sob, though she wasn't quite completely successful.

It wasn't fair.

They had been too young, this was her and Frau's first patrol, and Verna's second. It wasn't supposed to end up in a terrible, horrifying slaughter.

The azure-haired woman tightened her grip on her sword's sheath.

"I think we should move." She suggested meekly.

She didn't want to move. She wanted to just roll over and die. She wanted to be with her Wing-Sisters, who had fought to give them and Cordy a chance to leave.

"Maybe it's for the best." Verna agreed quietly.

The youngest of the group barely managed to nod through her tears and climbed on Skittle's back, hanging on to her mane like it was her lifeline.

The three women continued moving North on their Pegasi, hoping that they will get far enough away from the border that the stinking, almost unbeatable troops would not find them.

.

"'Lia, to your left!" Ryoko warned, directing Azura to fly higher so that she could jump on the enemy Wyvern Riders while her partner took care of hindering them and catching her as soon as she had no more foes to jump to.

Aurora moved away just in time, and Cordelia quickly impaled the Rider who had almost killed her.

" **Wind! Thunder! Elwind!** " Ryoko cast in quick succession at a group of Plegians, who fell to their deaths with their Wyverns.

Ryoko jumped and landed on top of a man, killed him and jumped again.

Cordelia could barely keep up with the axes used by the enemy fliers, but she did her best and somehow was managing to come out on top.

Soon enough, Caeda and her rider Sumia all but barreled through the troops in their haste to reach Cordelia.

"Coming trough!" Sumia shouted as she stabbed one of the Plegians flying between the two women.

Azura caught Ryoko, and the two easily regained height and attacked from below with the Drexion's ax form.

"I-I'm not late, am I?" Sumia asked nervously.

Ryoko laughed, "Nah, you came just in the nick of time! Now, I'd suggest keeping behind me for a while."

The warning was followed by a quick and sudden buildup of magic, and the two women quickly decided that they should be taking care of the enemies coming from behind them.

" **For victory we ride, Fury of the Storm! Lightning Wrath!** "

The spell, even hastily cast, came out slightly overpowered and decimated the Wyvern Riders up to a little further away than intended, but nobody on their side would complain.

Except for maybe Levi, who would then proceed to go off on a tangent on how she could do as much damage without overpowering the spell or weakening it.

Not that she really cared.

As a Summoner, she was basically _supposed_ _to_ overpower spells.

An arrow pierced a Wyvern's throat, while an Elwind fell another.

Finally after more long minutes of fighting, they saw a bright purple flame fly up to the sky and explode harmlessly.

Ryoko smiled to herself.

"Well, we're almost done here." She commented.

"Thank the Gods." Cordelia said. "I'm exhausted, and I'm still having a lot of trouble with all these axes."

Sumia nodded empathetically. "I'm starting to think that they have an ax fetish."

Ryoko couldn't help but burst out laughing at how true it was.

While the Ylissean Army didn't have many fighters, they tried to keep a balanced number of each kind of weapon, Ferox didn't really bother with a specific weapon and many ax-users soon learned to use bows or a sword, and the sizable Valmese forces had an astounding number of mounted units, last she heard.

Plegia was the only country whose army consisted mostly of brigands and ax-users.

Yes, they had the Dark Mages Division, but it was just a small fraction of their forces.

With Virion and Ricken's help, the three fliers made short work of the Plegian reinforcements and landed.

.

Chrom was getting tired of Vasto's games.

The man was taunting them from the top of his Wyvern, either flying or perched on top of a small pile of rocks too high up and far away for him or Daraen to reach.

It was seriously beginning to grate on their nerves.

"I'll splatter you all on the canyon floor!" Vasto shouted from his safely high place.

Daraen growled. "Than fucking come down here and try, I dare you!"

"Or are you really too scared?" Chrom taunted viciously, too irritated with the coward of a man to really care. "I guess _you_ are the chicken you claim others to be!"

That angered the man enough to come down and fight him personally.

"You will regret those words, dogs!" he screamed in rage.

Daraen and Chrom glanced at one another for a second and dove to the side in opposite directions, weapons drawn and wind dancing on the tactician's fingertips almost on its own accord.

" **Elwind**!" the spell made the Wyvern lose its balance in the air.

Chrom took it as a chance to slash at the beast's side with Falchion, making it tumble to the floor with a screech of pain and a massive gash in its side.

Vasto himself had fallen from the massive Wyvern and ended up between Chrom and Daraen.

The two men quickly rushed their enemy and easily killed him when he wasn't being a coward.

The man's massive Wyvern screeched, getting Daraen's attention, and he approached it calmly.

He could notice what were clearly whip marks on its neck and shoulders.

"He was not a real partner, was he?" he asked, mostly to himself, "He was more like an abusive owner."

Much to his surprise, the Wyvern nodded.

"How about you let me help you?" he asked, "Maybe help you find a decent partner as well."

The wounded Wyvern struggled to rise to its full height, and unsteadily wobbled to him, his maw hovering near his neck but not open or threatening. Just… waiting.

He realized, Ryoko had done this when she had asked Azura to partner with her. Only in his case, it had been the Wyvern who initiated it.

And he had no idea on how to react.

Something deep within the silver-haired tactician, a dormant instinct awakened.

And it whispered in the man's mind, of the Dragon-Bloods, and of customs that went beyond culture.

It whispered how Ryoko had asked for trust and partnership by placing her hand on the Azura's neck, and received it with her acceptance.

It whispered how this Wyvern was asking for salvation, either by death or redemption, killed by someone he saw as the one who freed him from his captor or fighting by his side as a partner and equal.

It whispered many things and none at all at the same time after that, but Daraen ignored it. He had made his choice.

He slowly rose his hand, placing it on the massive Wyvern's neck.

Gathering his magic, the silver-haired tactician sent out a wave of healing magic to the wounded beast, and smiled softly.

"Do you like the name Zeiss?" he asked, getting an affirmative croon from his new partner.

He realized that only a few seconds had passed.

"…They're gone." Chrom whispered, relieved and tired at the same time.

"Your Grace! My prince!" the redhead woman he had seen Ryoko save shouted, landing near them, "Run! As far and fast as you can! More Plegians are coming, not a half day's march behind you!"

Phila landed barely moments later, standing close to Frederick and the Exalt.

"Cordelia…" she said warily, "please, tell me the border remains secure, at least."

"That I could, milady! But it would be false…." Cordelia replied shakily, "Gangrel himself led his might against us, flanked by a Dark Flier! The end was upon us no sooner than that woman summoned Archers, when my Wing-Sisters all but begged that I fly and warn the Exalt…."

The woman's mask of strength shattered that instant, and she burst into tears. "I… I should have stayed! I should have ignored Farina's order and fought with them! Gods, I can still hear them screaming! I can still see Catria taking that arrow for me!"

"Peace, Cordelia." Phila soothed her Pegasus Knight, "You did your duty. The sisters rightly prized your youth. You've many years yet to keep their legacy alive."

"But I abandoned them!" Cordelia rebutted, "I'm weak…. Their legacy deserves better."

"Well," Daraen told the redhead, "I don't know about the abandoned part, but I know for certain that Ryoko wouldn't trust a weak person to fight alone with her against that many."

Phila nodded, "Sometimes fleeing takes the most courage. They knew that. Now pull yourself together. Let the faith they showed in you give you strength."

Cordelia shook her head, "Captain Phila, I… How can I go on like this? They were my… my family…." She sobbed, "Gods… Oh, gods."

"Damn those monsters!" Chrom shouted to the skies angrily.

"I must return to the capital." Emmeryn declared.

.

"W-What was that?!" Verna almost shouted, jumping in surprise.

The powerful wingbeats of multiple Wyverns were getting closer.

"D-D-Do y-you t-think that…?" Mather asked, afraid to either finish the sentence or getting an answer.

After a few tense moments, the sounds disappeared.

…And promptly returned soon after, this time belonging to a single Wyvern and one close to the ground.

"Whoa, girl!" the rider said as they landed not too far from the girls' hideout, "What'd you find?"

The Wyvern roared lowly and approached them.

Frau sobbed loudly, attracting the intruder's attention.

"What do we have here?" the rider said, pleased surprise in their voice, "Three young Pegasus Knights…."

The rider jumped down from the Wyvern smoothly, revealing a rather young boy to be in such a dangerous profession, his dark blue hair spiking up all over the place.

Surprising the other two, it was Frau who reacted first, picking up her lance and putting herself between the Rider and her sisters.

The intruder raised his hands in a nonthreatening gesture, his palms facing away from them in a manner that was oddly reminiscing of a mage's.

"W-W-Who are you?" she demanded in a panic, "What do you want with us?"

"Peace, I mean you three no harm." The man— boy —said. "I was just scouting for the Plegian reinforcements when this little rascal here suddenly went off her own way. I am called Ryoko, or Roy."

"Why are you here?" Verna asked warily.

"We were ambushed by Plegians at Breakneck Pass." The man— no, woman, —explained, "Cordelia came in out of nowhere, injured, and mentioned reinforcements coming. As soon as it was over, I left to look for them. It was lucky I did, too, because I can tell from your hair ornaments that you're from the same Wing as her. Let me help, please."

"I… I want proof you're not lying, first!" Mather demanded.

The woman sighed in resignation, slowly reaching into her pouch, but she stiffened a moment later.

She whipped around, turning her back to the three Knights and magic gathered around them, blocking a number of arrows and spells.

"I trust this is enough proof for now?" she asked, still maintaining the barrier, eyes glowing blue for some unknown reason.

The three Pegasus Knights nodded shakily.

"Damn it all, Risen!" Ryoko shouted, clearly referring to the nigh-unbeatable monsters.

"You three, go!" she barked tersely, "I'll catch up!"

"W-We're not leaving you to die!" Frau protested.

"And I will not risk your lives with a spell I cannot fully control!" Ryoko snapped back, "Go! Azura will take me away as soon as I finish casting, but you three need to get out of the blast range!"

Verna decided that if this woman wanted to be suicidal, it was not their problem, and they might as well take the chance to escape.

She tugged her Wing-Sisters away, and they followed reluctantly.

From a distance, Mather watched as the woman held a strange sword horizontally in front of her, at about shoulder-height, magic gathering quickly, wild and untamed.

" **Blazing darkness, gather the fury of the Skies for the storm to cleanse these fields! Obscure the day with your power! ECLIPSE STORM!** "

The spell was cast, a storm of black and silver lightning forming quickly and advancing towards the 'Risen'.

More than a few screamed, most of them dissolved into ashes, and those that did not were turned into a black smoke shortly after.

Ryoko all but collapsed against Azura's hide, and the three Pegasus Knights worried that she wouldn't make it.

But the Wyvern lowered herself a little, and the woman managed to climb securely on her back.

They were in the air a moment later, Azura quickly flying roughly west and Ivis, Skitter and Edith following on their partners' directions.

Two minutes on silent flying later, the woman sat straighter from where she was slumped on the saddle. Thirteen minutes more saw them getting closer to the Ylissean palace, which they flew over without a word, though the sense of urgency coming from the strange woman remained.

"Lisa! Mariaberu!" Ryoko shouted, her thick accent mangling the names.

She landed quickly in front of two blond women whom the three Pegasus Knights knew.

"What have you done _this_ time, Ryoko?" Lissa asked with an exasperated tone, "You disappeared out of nowhere!"

"I went to find the reinforcements." The woman replied easily. "They're mainly Risen Hordes and soldiers, but there's a shit ton of them. Azura then went off and found these three. They're from Cordelia's Wing, I think. They're injured, too."

"Say no more!" Maribelle interrupted, "We will take care of them. You go to the prince and reassure your boyfriend that no, you have not fallen off some cliff."

Blushing a little, Ryoko waved and took off.

"So," the princess of Ylisse chirped, "what are your names?"

.

"Your Grace," Phila protested, "I cannot advise—"

Ryoko landing and the Exalt's look kept her from speaking further.

"Where have you been?" prince Chrom demanded irritably.

The woman srugged carelessly, though she appeared to be exhausted. "Oh, you know, looked for the reinforcements, found three Pegasus Knights and obliterated a Risen Horde about to kill them, nothing much."

Though the woman's body language and tone appeared to be arrogant and crass, Phila could discern a touch of uncertainty and panic in her expression, alongside a lingering tiredness that she knew came from casting too much spells in too little time.

"T-Three Knights?!" Cordelia exclaimed, "Who?"

Ryoko shrugged again. "Didn't think to ask for their names. They were pretty young, though, and they all had the same blue wing-hairpin you have. The youngest had green hair and eyes, the oldest orange hair and brown eyes, and the other azure hair and gray eyes."

Cordelia's eyes widened. "Frau, Verna and Mather escaped?"

Phila noted that the names had been said in an order different than what they usually called them in, likely for Ryoko's benefit so that she had an idea of who they were.

"They're with Lissa and Maribelle right now." The blue-haired woman informed the redhead, "They looked pretty shaken when I found them."

Cordelia nodded shakily, relieved.

"Nonetheless, even with Mather, Frau and Verna's survival, I must still return." The Exalt said, bringing the conversation back to the matter at hand. "In fact, I should never have left. If it's discovered I'm away when this news comes to light…. The people could panic. Riot. More Ylisseans could needlessly die."

She took a golden shield out of one of her saddlebags and gave it to her brother. "Here, Chrom. I entrust this to you."

"The Fire Emblem?" Chrom said, confused.

"Take it to Ferox— to safety." Emmeryn asked.

"And leave you?" he protested, "No, Emm."

"No part of House Ylisse matters more than the Emblem." Emmeryn reminded her brother firmly, "It possesses tremendous power. But too much blood has been shed over it already. I hope it finds a better guardian in you than it did me."

"Emm, please, you can't…." Chrom tried, "Don't talk like that! You sound like you're ready to give up…."

"I am not giving up, Chrom." She replied softly, "I am only giving what I can."

Ryoko was strangely silent and shuddered, her expression dark as if caught in a terrible memory.

"Sis, wait! Let me go with you!" Lissa shouted, almost in tears.

"Stay with Chrom, Lissa." Emmeryn told her, "I command it."

"This isn't fair!" the younger blond shouted, "It's not fair! I know our people need you, but we need you, too!"

"Dry your tears, love. This is not good-bye." Emmeryn reassured her.

"Your Grace, the Pegasus Knights will accompany you to Ylisstol." Phila told the Exalt.

Emmeryn nodded. "Very well, Phila. Thank you."

"I will keep the prince and princess safe, Your Grace. You have my word." Frederick swore.

She smiled, "I know you will, Frederick. Thank you."

The Great Knight nodded. "It is my honor."

Phila turned to her subordinate. "Cordelia. You will stay here with Chrom."

"But Captain—" she protested.

"I know your heart is heavy, but this is how it must be." Phila told her, interrupting the redhead, "I need you and Sumia to watch over Mather, Frau and Verna, and your other Wing-Sisters will be with you in spirit, wherever you go."

Cordelia sighed. "…May they give me strength. As you command, Captain. I will pray for your safety."

"Come, Phila. We must go." Emmeryn said.

"No!" Chrom protested, "You don't have to go! This is absurd!"

The Exalt sighed, "Chrom, you don't—"

"Walking to your own death will not bring peace to anyone!" he shouted, "Ylisse needs you. _We_ need you! Be selfish for once in your life!"

The blond was silent for a moment, surprised by her brother's intensity in insisting she stay.

"I love you, Chrom." She finally said, "Both you and Lissa are my everything. As for the peace I seek… You cannot see who it is for. I have to go. I'm sorry— I truly am. Let us embrace again in Ylisstol when you arrive with Feroxi reinforcements. I know you will come."

"This is a terrible plan." Chrom pointed out.

"The blood of the first Exalt flows strong in us. You and I will keep Ylisse safe. I believe it with all my heart. Safe journey, Chrom. Safe journey, Lissa."

The Exalt and Phila turned to leave, but it seemed Ryoko found her voice once more.

"Please do your best to hold out, Lady Emerina." She murmured, "I do not think that they could bear that what happened to Father would happen to you as well."

Phila was tempted to ask for clarifications, but Ryoko's dark expression told her that she wouldn't appreciate speaking about it. Clearly, it was still a festering wound for the short woman.

Instead, she helped the Exalt mount on her Pegasus and ordered the Knights to return to Ylisstol.

She was about to get on herself when someone grabbed her arm.

It was Ryoko, looking rather conflicted.

She tore a piece of paper from a notebook and passed it to her.

"That's what little I saw or sensed. Be careful, Lady Phila." She whispered, letting go of her arm.

Phila glanced at the paper and blanched. "I will, thank you."

She was about to take off, when an idea came to her, "If I don't make it, watch over my girls, Lady Ryoko."

The blue-haired woman nodded firmly. "Fair winds, Lady Phila, Lady Emerina."

"Fair winds, Lady Ryoko." Phila replied in kind, taking to the skies.

"What did that mean, Phila?" the Exalt asked curiously.

"It's an old farewell used by fliers, Your Grace." she replied, "It means a wish that the recipient does not encounter difficulties on the journey."

The Captain of the Pegasus Knights sighed to herself.

She hoped that the time wouldn't come for Ryoko to keep her unspoken promise. And prayed that when— _if_ —it did, she would have more Knights than Cordy, the three rookies and Sumia.

* * *

 **Well, that was a it. Any opinions?**

 **So, notes! Ivis' name is canon, according to the wiki. She's Mather's Pegasus, if it wasn't clear. Skittle is Frau's and Edith is Verna's. Sorry for the confusing paragraphs, but the girls were traumatized and I was writing from their POV.**

 **Lia is Ryoko's nickname for Cordelia, like Ren is her nickname for Daraen. Also, Lightning Wrath is an original spell. I made it because I was listening to Dragonforce and I wanted to add a reference to one of my favorite songs. So there.**

 **About the ax thing, I distinctly remember there being a shit ton of ax units with a few sword units, mages and archers scattered here and there in the first few chapters. Then I decided to take it up to eleven because it was getting dark enough and with the amount of Wyvern Riders I was making the characters fight I felt they would get annoyed.**

 **Yes, Ryoko will be confused for a boy or a man quite a few times unless she's half naked. How fast the assumption gets corrected will change, though. Also, yes, Lissa and Maribelle are shipping Ryoko and Levi. Mostly because they don't want to admit they like each other.**

 **I decided to give some wings colored hairpins. The Bluewings have it blue, obviously. Some others will have different colors, though you reaally won't see it much. Just a little detail I decided to throw in there.**

 **Finally, that last part. Damn, that last part was _hard_ to write. That scene was almost making me cry because of the feels as I wrote/edited it.**

 **Well, that's all for today. Please, leave me a review!**


	20. Darkening Horizons

**Here's the new chapter, my dear readers.**

 **I'm sorry it took me so long, but between unpacking and a family issue, I ended up forgetting to update until Thursday, and by then I decided to just wait until the weekend. Also, since I have only three unedited chapters, I will no longer update weekly until I can consistently have two edited chapters ready by the end of the week.** **Until then, I'll update once or twice every month.**

 **Also, in case anyone gets confused about Gaius' nicknames: Ryoko is 'Spikes' and Levi is 'Dusk'.**

 **Well, nothing else to say but 'enjoy'!**

* * *

 _ **Fire Emblem: Dragon's Claw**_

 **~ Chapter 18 ~**

 **Darkening Horizons**

Ryoko had been moody all the way to the Eastern Palace.

 _It hurt. They were pulling on her arm painfully. She sobbed quietly._

 _"Enough!" her father shouted, "Let her go! She's just some no-name orphan! I'm the one you want!"_

 _The cloth on his left arm was ripped off. No sleeve. No gauntlet to hide it._

 _The man's Seal was exposed to the world._

She shuddered as she tried to suppress the memory.

She didn't want to remember.

 _"Do not waste this gift of life. Run. I will lead them away."_

 _"…I must still return. In fact, I should never have left."_

A hand landed on her shoulder, startling her.

She looked up, to see Virion smiling at her. "Stay with us, kiddo. Stay in the present."

Ryoko took a deep breath, trying to focus on anything else.

Like the archer's voice, telling her to stay with them. Yeah, that sounded good. Better than the memories.

"T-Thanks." She mumbled, "Fucking flashbacks."

"You're welcome." He said, gesturing dramatically, "But, alas, I must go now! I have yet to introduce myself to our new beautiful ladies!"

She couldn't help but chuckle.

"Try not to scare them with your ugly mug, old man!" she shouted at him.

The way he tripped and fell on his face at that made her burst into laughter.

After a few hours of travel, which she had mostly spent keeping back her memories, the Eastern Palace was finally in sight.

"Well, it's not exactly a town, but I guess it'll have to do…." Levi said cheerfully.

Ryoko nearly jumped in surprise and glared at the purple-haired Dragon, who smiled unapologetically.

The offer banished all her darker thoughts.

"Actually," she commented happily, "I think this is better! A whole place to explore, and just a day to do it! It'll be like a raid dungeon or something!"

Levi thought about it, and realized she was right. It would be like in those games he had played in the Hub World when he stopped by!

Better yet, they would be raiding treasure chests that they _knew_ wouldn't be missed, probably with Gaius if they caught the orange-haired thief and he was interested.

.

The orange-haired thief was having the time of his life, helping try to teach Dusk how to open chests without magic or keys.

"Come on, Dusk, this it easy!" he cheered on the irritated man.

"Yeah!" Spikes teased happily, "Wouldn't want my fearsome Dragon to be beaten by a measly treasure chest!"

The two excitedly bounced over to another chest.

"What's this?" Gaius sung, "Candy? Not candy?"

Spikes chuckled. "I don't think they keep the candy here, Gaius. We're nowhere near the kitchens."

"That's what _you_ think, Spikes!" he shot back, "I'll have you know I found plenty of candy by looking around!"

"I call dibs on the chocolate." The blue-haired woman stated, "The rest of the candy is yours."

"Sounds like a sweet deal!" he agreed happily.

Really, Spikes would maim to get to the good chocolate, but she would also be more than happy to give up other sweets in exchange for it or for the agreement not to touch her stash. Gaius would still get most of the candy, though he would sadly have to give up one of his favorite snacks.

To the thief, it was perfectly worth it. And, if he was lucky, she would agree to share some of it.

"Have you seen Bubbles' new pet?" he asked, changing the subject.

"Bubbles?" Spikes asked confusedly.

"Long coat, silver hair." He supplied.

Her face lit up in recognition. "Oh, 'Ren!" she nodded. "Yes, I've seen him. I think Zeiss— the Wyvern —wants to mate with Azura."

"I did _not_ need to know that!" he shouted, trying to keep the horrifying images out of his head.

With a click, the chest finally opened.

"Wow, that was a tough one." Gaius commented.

"Oh." Spikes muttered. "Shame."

The chest was full of old pieces of paper. Spikes piked a few up and grimaced.

"It's not even anything interesting." She grouched. "Just old paperwork. Who cares about paperwork?"

"Hey!" Gaius protested jokingly. "I'll have you know that it saved my life once!"

"Oh, really?" Spikes challenged.

"Yes!" the orange-haired thief replied, "And it made such an excellent fire!"

Spikes' dark chuckles were something he could have done without hearing, but luckily Dusk's cry of triumph interrupted them.

Gaius peered over to see what the purple-haired man had found, his face lighting up in joy. "Candy!"

He got a stinging spell to the face.

Dusk smirked. "Finders keepers, sorry."

The man did not seem apologetic at all.

Spikes pouted at him. "Pleeease?"

"No." Dusk repeated. "It's mine."

The woman didn't waver, and the purple-haired man valiantly resisted, even though Gaius could see him struggle a bit.

It was then that Spikes decided to bring out the big weapons.

She tilted her head a little, sniffling slightly in one of the most devastating Puppy Eyes Of Doom™ to ever exist.

Dusk didn't stand a chance and grumpily handed over a chocolate bar.

Spikes immediately dropped the look and fled, cheering happily.

"You did all you could, man." Gaius mockingly reassured his fellow man, "Nobody could have beat them."

He got another stinging spell to the face for that.

.

Cordelia was wandering the main halls without a real goal in mind when she saw the three girls sitting by the fire.

She had caught glances of them on the way to Ferox, but had been unable to approach them until now.

Mather's bright azure hair stood out first, then Frau's green and finally Verna's orange.

Now that she thought about it, the oldest girl's features were similar to those of the thief she had seen earlier, Gaius if she remembered correctly.

She wondered if they were related.

"Hey." She greeted softly, making them jump in surprise.

"C-Cordy!" Frau cried. "You _really_ made it!"

"We thought you had been caught!" Mather said. "But then we saw Aurora scouting ahead and we weren't sure and—"

"Are you alright, Cordelia?" Verna asked concernedly, interrupting her comrade.

"Yes." Cordelia replied. "Ryoko caught me in time when the bastard made me fall from Aurora. What about you three? Are you alright?"

Frau nodded bravely, but the redhead could see that it had hit her hard.

"We made it out just fine!" she told her cheerfully, "Ryoko saved us too!"

"Frau…." Cordelia said, trailing off.

"I'll be alright, Cordy!" the green-haired Pegasus Knight reassured her, "After all, I've still got some of my Wing-Sisters with me!"

"Come and sit with us, Cordelia." Mather offered. "We were… We don't know what to do now."

"What she means is…" Verna explained, "We have no idea of what we should do. Do we return to the Capital with the other Pegasus Knights? Or do we stay with the Shepherds? Phila just said to recover…."

Cordelia honestly did not know how to reply to that question.

"Hey girls!" Sumia's voice called from the next room, "I made pie!"

The woman emerged from the doorway with a delicious-smelling apple pie in her hands, but she tripped over nothing.

Quickly, Cordelia caught the pie and her best friend before either of them could hit the ground.

That was the most she'd ever been able to do, but it had helped in many occasions such as this.

"Thanks, Cordelia." Sumia said with a smile. "You saved my pie."

"It's nothing." Cordelia replied, hiding a light blush, "Besides, you're my friend, Sumia."

The brown-haired Pegasus Knight smiled brightly and sat down with them, cutting the pie and offering a slice to everyone before taking one for herself.

"What were you girls talking about earlier?" she asked conversationally.

Mather and the other two girls traded glances before they came to a silent agreement and the azure-haired woman repeated the trio's concerns.

Sumia mulled over the question for a moment.

"Well, Ryoko was joking earlier that if we get any more fliers she might as well create a Wing within the Shepherds." Sumia told them, "I think that if we ask together, she might actually consider the idea more seriously and maybe even do it."

"But with just five of us, there's not much of a point, is there?" Verna asked bitterly.

"Well, Ryoko and Daraen _do_ have Wyverns." Cordelia pointed out.

Sumia nodded. "Besides that, she and Levi are also Dragons. Maybe if we found another Dragon she will actually do it anyways if you stay."

The three young Knights considered their options carefully.

"I like the idea of finding a new Wing!" Frau declared. "I think I'll stay."

"I'll stay as well." Verna said, her expression darkening. "It will give me a few opportunities to have _words_ with my brother, that damned candy thief."

"Where my Wing-Sisters go, I go as well." Mather stated confidently.

Sumia smiled, "Maybe you'll have more Wing-Siblings soon, if Ryoko really goes through with her idea."

The four Bluewing survivors found themselves liking that thought. Yes, Ryoko was a rude and antisocial bitch at times, but she cared about their wellbeing enough that she would make sure they would not end up losing their life or a limb if they were sufficiently injured.

Cordelia thought that, maybe, that was the green-eyed woman's way of distancing herself from others in an effort to avoid being hurt by their deaths.

And, at the same time, she was reminded of Lon'qu, who feared women getting close to him, and herself, who kept her untouchable persona for everyone but her Wing and Sumia.

.

Swords clashed fiercely.

Levi found himself with a sword at his throat.

"Again!" he demanded.

Ryoko consented easily.

They were restless.

They both needed the movement, the battle, to take their minds off what could happen.

Marth's words, confirmed by both Chrom and Daraen, implied that someone wanted Emmeryn dead.

And they wanted it at any cost.

The two had been unable to interfere earlier, since neither was familiar enough with the blond woman to protest in that way, and it frustrated them.

They had sworn to protect.

How would they be able to do so when the one whom they should protect the most was so far away from them?

He roared angrily.

What were they supposed to protect here in the middle of nowhere?

They should already have returned to Ylisstol with reinforcements and be ready to march on Gangrel!

Instead, they had spent two weeks here, doing absolutely nothing.

The swords met again in a struggle for power.

Levi managed to move a hair to the left, and ducked under Ryoko's blade when she inevitably pushed him back.

He rammed into her, roughly throwing her to the ground.

She was quickly immobilized under his weight, unable to move because of the blade at her throat.

The blue-haired Dragon's eyes were wide in surprise, and she barely managed to breathe out a stunned gasp.

Levi took a second to register what had happened. "I… won?"

Finally, he realized his own words, whispered with a disbelieving tone.

He tossed his practice sword to the side and whooped, overjoyed. "I won! Yeah!"

Instead of taking it badly, Ryoko was giving him a wide and extremely happy smile. "See? I told you you could do it!"

He let her up, smiling in mild embarrassment. "Yeah…. I guess you _were_ right."

"Well, since you won, you get to chose where we'll go next time." Ryoko told him.

Levi smirked, thinking of a place he'd seen not long ago in one of his jobs. It was on the way, too, and he was certain that sneaking a night out was easy enough for them.

"I know just the place." He said mysteriously.

Seeing there was nothing else to do, he asked, "Want to go another round?"

"Sure." Ryoko agreed. Her expression turned teasing. "We might even start counting wins."

"Really?" he replied in kind, "You might get crushed by my new awesomeness."

"What awesomeness, oh Great Dragon?" she shot back.

"Does that make you the Princess?" he asked innocently.

Ryoko shrugged with a small smile. "Sure. If you're the Dragon, then I'm the badass Princess."

.

Lissa paced nervously. "B-but she's safe inside the castle, right? Phila and the others will protect her! And Khan Flavia is assembling her best troops as we speak. We'll make it back home in time. I know we will!"

She wanted to believe it with all her heart, but it had already been two weeks and they were still waiting. And her brother was not helping matters.

Like now, he was so lost in his thoughts that he even failed to give her an absentminded response, which, at this point, would have reassured more than the uncertainty of him being so damned quiet!

"Chrom? Say something!" she demanded, "Say, 'Yes, of course we will!'"

Chrom finally seemed to snap out of his daze.

"…I'm sorry, Lissa. What?" he asked confusedly.

The young princess groaned. "Ugh, fine! Never mind! Let me know when you get out of your own head for a second! Even Ryoko was more helpful than you!"

Ryoko was so frustrated lately that she did little else than pick fights, usually with Levi or Lon'qu, and spent the rest of her time with the former Bluewings.

Her brother didn't reply, and Lissa huffed in frustration at him.

Sumia, who was staying close to them for now, approached Chrom.

"Snap out of it, Captain!" she shouted, hitting the man.

Flavia chose that moment to enter, followed by a bruised Ryoko and Levi.

"OW!" Chrom exclaimed, "What the hell was that for?!"

Sumia panicked, "Oh no! …Did I do it wrong? Captain Phila said sometimes a good slap will break someone out of their doldrums."

Lissa did her best to look stern, but she was trying to hold back her laughter.

"Sumia," she informed the Pegasus Knight, "when you slap someone, you do it with an open palm. You just punched Chrom in the face!"

Sumia hummed nervously, "It's the thought that counts? Besides, Ryoko said she did it that way."

Ryoko completely lost it and fell to the floor laughing.

Lissa and Levi followed suit, the blond unsure of what was funnier between the fact that Sumia was more concerned on how she hit Chrom rather than the fact that she did it at all, or that she took so seriously the advice of the most violent woman in the army, who also had a prankster streak and couldn't stand idiots.

"Gods, that seriously hurt…." Chrom complained dramatically.

Flavia laughed, "What's wrong, my dear prince? Sometimes love hurts! You're lucky to have strong women like these, and not just dainty flowers about." The Khan shook her head, calming herself, "In any case, I bring good news. The Feroxi army has finally mobilized. Every last man is itching to fight. I must say, I'm looking forward to savoring a skirmish or two myself."

"Wait. You're coming along?" Chrom asked, surprised.

Considering just how they met and how easily she got along with a pissed off Ryoko, Lissa wasn't that much surprised.

"Of course!" Flavia replied cheerfully. "A Khan must have her fun. I'm even bringing my insignificant other."

"Your who?" Daraen inquired, still stifling chuckles.

"Basilio. The oaf isn't good for much, but he might stop a few stray arrows." Flavia replied flippantly.

And now Lissa had very much a clear idea of who the green-eyed Dragon got her snark form.

They just needed to wait a few more days for the scouts to report back.

.

"Chrom!" Basilio shouted, "Good gods, I've been looking for you everywhere!"

Everyone in the room immediately gave all their attention to the large man, most of all Chrom.

"Is something wrong?" the Ylissean prince asked warily.

Taking into account how he barged into the room, Daraen was getting a good idea of what the news would be, and he didn't like it at all.

"Our scouts have reported back." The dark-skinned man said grimly. "Dark news, I'm afraid…. Ylisstol… has fallen."

"What?!" Chrom, Daraen and Lissa exclaimed.

The rest of the Shepherds muttered among themselves.

Unfortunately, Basilio wasn't finished. "The Plegians captured your Exalt and retreated back across their lines. Gangrel has declared she's to be publicly executed within the next full moon."

"E-executed?!" Chrom yelped.

Lissa fainted, and Daraen barely managed to catch her in time.

The complete and utter silence coming form the Shepherds in the room was an indication of how they all took the news. Either shocked, speechless or fainted like Lissa, nobody could manage to form words.

"Lissa?" he asked worriedly. "Lissa!"

The blond did not reply, and he wordlessly handed her over to Lon'qu, who was closest to him. Much to the man's credit, he did not immediately drop her to the floor, but he passed her to the nearest conscious person and moved away.

"The bastard's not even trying to be subtle anymore!" Flavia shouted, enraged.

"I agree. It's an obvious trap." Daraen said.

"The Mad King knew our scouts would relay this information back." Basilio deduced. "It's clearly a provocation— a hot brand to the buttocks! We should consider our options carefully before jumping to any—"

"Shepherds! We march to Plegia!" Chrom declared loudly, interrupting the West-Khan.

Basilio cleared his throat. "Well, that would be _one_ way to go about it, yes. But perhaps we've seen enough royalty waltzing into traps for one war already, eh?"

"I don't care if it's a trap, Basilio." Chrom told him hotly. "He's going to murder my sister!"

Ryoko waltzed over and punched him in the face. "Calm down. Getting yourself killed won't help anyone, much less her. We need a better idea than just storming the place to get through this."

Flavia nodded. "Ryoko's right. Breathe a moment. No one's suggesting we don't act. We're simply saying we should act _wisely_. We'll need guts _and_ wits in equal measure if we're to save your sister."

"The Khans are right." Daraen agreed. "I'll think of something, Chrom. I promise."

Placated, Chrom took a deep breath. "Alright, Daraen. I'll leave it to you to formulate a strategy."

"Are you certain you're up to the task, Daraen?" Flavia asked somewhat warily, "It won't be easy. You hold the Exalt's life in one hand, and all of ours in the other."

He nodded firmly, not showing a hint of his nervousness.

What if he screwed something up? What if he failed everyone? How many would die because of him?

"A responsibility I do not take lightly. But I am equal to the challenge." He replied instead.

Flavia laughed, likely relieved by his reply. "You've got stones, at least. I like that!"

"No hesitation, no mincing words…. He's either a genius or a fool!" Basilio said. "I suppose we'll find out once we march. Hold on to your tassets, Ylisseans. We've an Exalt to save!"

Daraen only hoped he would be up to the task.

"Let's get to work." He muttered before addressing his fellow Shepherds, "Ryoko, Levi, bring me as many maps of Plegia as you can find. Anyone that is familiar with the territory, tactics room, immediately."

"On it!" the two Dragons chorused.

"Frederick, Lon'qu, start drafting a training schedule. We need to bring up our levels, fast, but still be able to march."

He quickly made his way to his room, taking out as many pieces of paper and notebooks as he could find before running off again.

There was much planning to do, and very little time.

* * *

 **And that's it for today.**

 **In the initial scene I was feeling a bit dark and decided that Ryoko needed to deal with past trauma after the last chapter.**

 **The scene with Gaius was extremely fun to write, especially since I made Ryoko a chocolate addict and Levi incapable of lockpicking anything without magic. They'll get along happily, but they'll behave like kids.** **In case you're wondering, Ryoko was completely serious when she said Zeiss wants to mate with Azura. And yes, Ryoko takes full advantage of her childish looks to steal chocolate by pouting cutely. She's got it down to an art.**

 **I decided to make Verna and Gaius siblings when I realized I gave them both orange hair. I'll explain more later when they're not in the middle of a war.**

 **Ryoko and Levi reached A-rank support!**

 **Also, since it's never stated who got Sumia to puch Chrom in the face, I decided to have Ryoko have a hand in that, mostly because she always punches people rather than merely slap them.**

 **But will Daraen succeed in making a strategy to save Emmeryn? And will the Shepherds make it in time? Find out next time!**


	21. On a Dragon's Wings

**Well, after long weeks of painful editing, I've finally completed this section of the story. It wasn't easy setting everything up to lead to Plegia Castle without breaking the story or overpowering my OCs too much this early on. I wanted to leave elements of the original draft, like the scene at the beginning, a certain village elder and an important support conversation, while still keeping the story's pace.**

 **Do note that this chapter includes the Grimeal, and as such there's mantions of a bunch of unpleasant things like murder, necromancy, slavery and gore.**

 **Also, I have a question for you, readers.** Which pairings would you like to see? **I accept all suggestions, except for Virion's love interest, who is already decided.**

 **Well, enough text. I'll leave you to the story. Enjoy!**

* * *

 _ **Fire Emblem: Dragon's Claw**_

 **~ Chapter 19 ~**

 **On a Dragon's Wings**

A lone Wyvern screeched from the skies, circling a village briefly.

The rider, dressed in comfortable riding wear and with a long orange and black scarf covering their head and face, frowned.

Below the pair, a group of garbed men looked up, noticing the unusual rider.

"Who do you think it is, Rokar?" one of them asked.

"Are you an idiot?" the one called Rokar snarled.

"Yeah, Wazel!" a third one said, "It's probably just one of the King's scouts. You know how he likes having the Wyvern Riders around."

The first one snickered. "Not so much now that our Lady Aversa can summon the Hordes, though." He shrugged. "Besides, you're probably right, Zrazael."

Rokar smirked nastily. "And we still _do_ have to find that girl."

Zrazael's twisted smile did not bode well. "What do you guys say about a good, old-fashioned rampage?"

"Well…" Wazel reasoned, "there are three villages and we could keep score on who does the most damage."

"Finding the girl gives extra points." Zazrel stated firmly.

"Nah… let's make this interesting." Rokar said. "Creative deaths encouraged, rising the dead gives extra points… and the girl doubles the finder's current score."

Wazel's expression turned into a rather horrible smirk. "I like it. Let's draw this out as much as we can. More entertainment. Winner gets a night 'alone' with the girl to remind her of her place."

The three men shook on it and started organizing their game, oblivious to the fact that the Wyvern was still circling above them, or that the rider quickly directed the Wyvern to fly north rather than west where the Plegian forces were stationed.

"I do not like this." The rider muttered. "I do not like this at all."

.

Azura landed easily, letting her partner down so that she could report to Frederick.

The man was waiting impatiently for any scouts to return, and Ryoko had been the first.

At once, Azura flew off to drink some water before returning to the shade.

"Well?" Frederick asked, impatiently.

Ryoko dropped down in the shade, throwing back the veil she made her scarf into to avoid being sunburned during her flights.

In the desert, she had taken to wearing lighter gear and, once she realized that cooling or freezing enchantments didn't last long, she also ditched the blacks for light bluish or silvery grays.

The woman tugged at the scarf lightly, "Ugh… I hate the desert heat."

"Aren't you a Dragon, though?" Frederick inquired. "Shouldn't you be resistant to heat?"

"I may have been born here," Ryoko replied grumpily, "but I grew up in Ferox. And I haven't earned any scales yet, so I'm like a human in that regard. By the way, rumors say some Grimeal are hunting for a green-haired girl near the oasis south of here."

Frederick nodded. "I'll keep that in mind. Go have some rest."

Ryoko's overjoyed cry of delight was more than enough to bring the man some amusement while he waited for the rest of the scouts to return.

.

Levi waited impatiently for Ryoko to return from her flight, which Frederick used as an opportunity to get some extra scouting info.

He'd seen Azura pass by not long ago, so he assumed the woman was busy giving her report for now.

A few minutes was what it took before the green-eyed Dragon waltzed in the large mess tent, marching over to Levi before she dropped to the ground next to him, panting from the heat.

"Hey, Levi." She greeted absently.

"Hey." He replied. "Had a nice flight?"

"It was nice until we landed." Ryoko grouched. "There were also Grimeal, so that kinda ruined it too."

Levi ruffled Ryoko's hair, and she protested loudly, though she only put a token resistance because she did not want to get too hot again.

"I hate this damned desert." Levi muttered darkly. "It's hot, arid, there's barely any shade and it's a damned cultist hotspot."

Ryoko nodded empathetically. "The nights are nice at least."

"There's also some really pretty views around here." Levi said, "I guess it's something with desert and icy areas. They have climates only those raised there can stand, but they compensate with an incredible landscape if you know the good spots."

She nodded in agreement and smirked teasingly, "Oh, really? Is that mystery location conveniently nearby, too?"

He gave her a winning smile, "Incredible coincidence, right?"

She shook her head in exasperation as she held back a smile, fiddling silently with her belts and pouches for a few moments. "We should probably prepare to fight soon. I think there's a Dragonkin in the area with Grimeal on her ass."

Levi frowned. "Not good. Do we blow our cover?"

Ryoko's eyes hardened in determination. "If it becomes necessary. We'll protect Kin."

He cracked his knuckles, smiling, "Count me in."

They fell into companionable silence while they waited for the call to arms.

He let himself drift to his thoughts.

He had been having strange dreams, remembering things that he'd never done, but everything that he had not experienced personally was so muddled that he could not make out much of anything.

It had been happening ever since he and Ryoko crossed blades in the arena.

What was happening to him?

.

"I'd like to believe it's our cunning that got us this far without being spotted…" Chrom told Daraen, "But we've seen far too little of the Plegian Guard. Where are they? Whatever trap Gangrel has planned, he is in no hurry to spring it."

Frederick chose that moment to come in.

"Milord, our scouts report some manner of engagement downfield." The man reported, "Also, Ryoko implied that they may be Grimeal in search of a Dragon-Blood of some sort."

Chrom nodded. "Understood. Get everyone ready to move."

Frederick saluted and promptly left the meeting room.

"These desert sands are certain to bog down our units." Daraen commented. "Only mages and fliers will likely be able to proceed unhindered. Fortunately, this will be the same for our enemies as well."

"Good point." Chrom said. "Come on, we can discuss strategy as we dismantle camp."

.

The cloaked girl slowed to a stop in under a rock formation, panting.

"H-Have… Have I lost him?" she asked the air, not truly expecting a reply.

"Wait, I say!" the voice of the man who had been following her said, "Why you no comprehending, wee one?"

The man was massive, with short brown hair, and old for a human. It scared her.

So, hearing his voice, she screeched in fright. "GET AWAY! Everyone just leave me ALONE!"

The man tried to shush her. "Please, be keeping down with the voice! You give away position! Very bad!"

The girl could, distantly, agree with the man, but she didn't really care at the moment.

"My throat is dry, my shoes are full of sand, and some big weirdo is trying to KILL ME!" she complained rather loudly.

"Oy, you break Gregor's heart!" the weird man said. "Why you treat like villain?"

"You there!" someone shouted from not too far away. "Fiend! Keep your hands off that maiden!"

"Who is fiend?" the brown-haired man questioned. "…You mean Gregor? No, friend! You have idea wrong!"

"Yeah, right!" A girl replied sarcastically, "And now Lon'qu approaches women willingly, too."

"This day has been nothing but insults and punches to groin." The brown-haired man complained loudly, "And all for doing good deed! …Listen, friend! Gregor only want to—"

"Gotcha, you slippery scamp!" A raspy voice shouted, "Prepare for a dose of Grima's wrath."

"Oy, this is most terrible!" Gregor grouched, "Do you see now? They make with the catching of us!"

"LEAVE HER ALONE, YOU FREAKS!" someone roared from the back, just as a blue-scaled Wyvern rose to the air, two people in its back.

The cloaked girl gasped quietly. They were Kin! They had the same magic as her, only different!

She sniffled. "K-Kin! Help me!"

More men were closing in on them, only these wore creepy cloaks.

"Kin, uh?" one of them laughed. "Yes, scream for them, girl! Scream so that they rush to their deaths!"

"You not be touching little girl!" Gregor bellowed, putting himself between her and the creepy men.

" **THUNDER**!" someone roared from above, smiting the man before he could do anything. "WHAT THE FUCK DID I SAY ABOUT HER?!"

Some of the men shuddered in fear.

"You. Will. Not. Touch. My. Kin." Another voice shouted, shaking with barely restrained rage.

Moments later, the men in the creepy cloaks rushed forward, only for a tall, purple-haired man to drop down from the sky and almost effortlessly take them out while avoiding multiple thunder strikes, though no more spells were explicitly cast.

She looked up to see that the Wyvern's rider was the one casting the spells, their face obscured by a scarf being used as a veil.

Once the creepy men were all laying to the floor, dead, the man turned to her and the weirdo as the Wyvern landed, letting the rider dismount.

This was obviously not Gregor's first encounter with a Dragon-Blood, because the man was quick to drop his sword and raise his hands in a nonthreatening gesture, awkwardly exposing his neck at the same time.

"Please!" he said, "Gregor is not enemy! You must believe!"

The shortest of the two, who was the Wyvern's rider, barely restrained a groan.

"Gregor?!" she exclaimed disbelievingly, "What the hell are you doing here?!"

"You know Gregor?" the man asked.

She tilted her head curiously. The other girl knew this man?

In reply, she threw back the veil, revealing sharp features and blue hair.

"Little Roy?" the brown-haired man said, surprise. "Is been long since Gregor see you!"

The girl scowled playfully. "I am just short! And half your age!"

"You still little for Gregor." The man rebutted cheerfully, "Even if you much stronger than Gregor!"

"Whatever." The girl— Roy? What a strange name… —replied. "So, what are you doing here, Grandpa?"

Gregor winced minutely at the title, retrieving his sword. "Gregor protecting little girl from evil men. Roy?"

"Rescuing the Ylissean Exalt." She replied flippantly, turning to her. "My name's Ryoko, Lightning. He's Levi, Shadow. The Blue Wyvern is Azura. We'll protect you."

"Y-You're going to help me?" the cloaked girl asked, receiving a nod from everyone. "Thank you! Thank you! I'm Nowi!"

Levi chuckled. "We're a bit far from the others."

"Well, we might as well stay here." Ryoko said, "The Grimeal are already coming."

"We keep girl safe, yes?" Gregor stated firmly.

"Azura, go warn 'Ren, will ya?" Ryoko told her Wyvern. "Gregor, you still remember the defensive formations, right?"

"Oy, Gregor not forget simple things like formations!" the brown-haired mercenary complained.

Levi looked her in the eyes. "Nowi, if you can, help us out. Do you still have your Dragonstone?"

"Yup!" she confirmed cheerfully, showing them a beautiful stone.

The man nodded. "Good. We'll talk after the battle, alright?"

"Here they come!" Ryoko warned.

All conversation died as Ryoko, Levi and Gregor surrounded her in a protective circle, slowing moving around her.

Nowi flinched when the creepy men began throwing dark spells at the group, but a barrier sprung up and spells were fired back from both the two other Dragon-Bloods.

Were they Manakete like her? Were there more?

Or were they Dragons instead?

Without seeing either a Dragonstone or their Dragon Masks, it would be impossible to tell unless they used Dragon-specific Partials.

Which, from the looks of things, was not going to happen.

Not unless Nowi transformed first.

The girl tried not to cower too much. If their ears were anything to go by, the two definitively had a lot of human ancestry, and she refused to be seen as weak by someone who was not even a tenth her age!

More of the creepy men tried to attack the group, this time more directly.

Their attempts were rebuffed, but Nowi made her decision.

She refused to just stay back and suffer in silence anymore!

"STAY AWAY FROM ME!" she shouted, activating the Dragonstone.

The Stone's immense magic surrounded her, seeping into her. For the first time in many years, Nowi could feel her strength and the wind in her scales once more.

Gone was the little girl, and the cloak she hid under, and in her place was a massive, yellow and green Dragon with leaf-like wings.

She shot a concentrated ball of her Element at the closest group of men, who barely managed to scatter in time.

"Levi!" Ryoko called gleefully. "Playtime's over!"

"Right you are, Princess mine!" the man replied just as gleefully.

That brief conversation over, Nowi felt an unfamiliar energy gathering before the Dragon Masks formed on the two Dragons' faces.

Ryoko's Mask was silver and with angular features, the horns slim and short, while her hair became slightly longer and a grayish-white color in some places.

Levi's Mask, instead, was an extremely dark gray, nearly black, and wispy at the edges, while his hair was even darker.

The pair's fighting style changed radically.

Instead of just staying in one place, they moved, advanced and retreated, changing constantly and with little effort, using Dragonskin to protect themselves from harm while flying around causing untold casualties and occasionally using the famed Dragon maw to dispose of particularly annoying groups.

And that was before the others in their group reached Nowi and Gregor.

Once the large group was close enough to protect Nowi, the two went off on their own, which was normal judging from the resigned looks on the silver-haired Dragon-Blood's face.

.

Ryoko and Levi landed just outside the final village, the battle being almost over with only a few Grimeal remaining.

On the streets there were plenty of bodies, few of them civilian. The sounds of battle had been what attracted them in the first place.

" **Maybe we should return to at least Half form?** " Ryoko suggested.

" _ **It may be for the best to just use out normal forms for now.**_ " Levi said. " _ **The villagers might be frightened or wary of Dragonkin.**_ "

Reigning in her magic to dissolve the Dragon Mask, Ryoko shrugged. "Fair enough."

Levi followed suit.

They sprinted through the village towards the source of the commotion, hoping that it wasn't another massacre by Grimeal they weren't able to stop.

It was with a mix of shock and relief that they found the cultists surrounding an old man… who was effortlessly using Dragonskin and the Dragon Maw.

"Left?" Ryoko asked, getting ready to battle.

"Go nuts." Levi replied with a shrug.

The next moment, they charged at the Grimeal, quickly flinging spells that would be harmless to the Dragon but do much damage to their foes.

The green-eyed woman unsheathed her second blade and made short work on the group on the left. Levi was slightly behind her, making good use of his stolen rapier to take out anyone who got past her while keeping up his magic assault.

Ryoko was quickly surrounded, but she easily ducked under most of the attacks.

A particularly crazed man swung a blade at her back while she was busy…

Only for it to bounce off her silver-scaled skin.

" **Split Thunder!** " she cast a second later, taking advantage of the surprise without breaking her assault.

 _ **This guy's magic feels familiar.**_ Grima mused to himself.

Ryoko ignored him, preferring to focus on finishing off the last of the cultists with a few more well-placed hits.

Soon enough, the two Dragons had begun looting the corpses for the Grimeal medallions so that they could burn them.

"That was a battle well fought, younglings." The old man commented.

"It's not over yet." Ryoko pointed out. "And I had to use Dragonskin."

Levi nodded in agreement, "We only came to check on the villages before the Grimeal do permanent damage. We'll be on our way shortly."

The old man hummed, "Still, you two have shown impressive skill for your young age. Tell me, do you remember the truth?"

"Truth is mirrored in a Dragon's Eye." They chorused in reply.

The old man chuckled, "It's clear as day that you two are a perfect match, speaking like that. Have you already received your blessings, younglings?"

Ryoko and Levi immediately blushed deep red and attempted to deny the man's statement, without much success.

The old man smiled knowingly, "Young love… I miss those days."

Ryoko discreetly inched back, preparing to make a hasty retreat before anyone realized it and get away from the awkward conversation.

Fortunately, the old man decided to drop the subject. "I am Talon, elder of this little village here. The other two villages would have belonged to my siblings, but they left centuries ago."

The green-eyed Dragon hummed thoughtfully, "Wouldn't those two siblings happen to be the infamous prankster Loki and a certain wise woman named Riisha?"

"You know them?" Talon inquired.

Ryoko smiled mysteriously, as if she had figured out something nobody else knew. "We _really_ need to go, old man."

The man sighed, "Such a shame. If you need to stay the night, my village is open to you two and your companions."

The pair returned to their Dragon Forms and took off.

" _ **We'll keep that in mind! Thanks, Elder!**_ "

.

Chrom and Daraen were dealing with the Grimeal leader in the southwestern area, so the two Dragons made their way there.

The smaller of the two screeched, diving rapidly towards the ground and pulling up mere moments before hitting the ground.

The silver blur barreled towards the fighters without rising, halfway changing to human as it went.

"Sword Form! Release!" Ryoko shouted, drawing Drexion.

The Claw shifted quickly, just as she reached the first spellcaster.

With a challenging roar, she cut him down and blasted herself a path through the Grimeal.

Levi's massive black form circled overhead, waiting.

She easily ducked under a sword and retaliated by stabbing her attacker.

Then she cut apart a spell directed at her before rushing forward again.

Daraen had been cornered by the cultists and took a Nosferatu to the chest, falling back with a pained scream as the spell stole his life energy.

"No, you don't!" Ryoko shouted, slashing at the smug Grimeal and forcing him to disrupt the spell or die.

The man decided that it was better to get out of there and moved away.

Daraen groaned as Ryoko helped him up, hastily getting him to his feet.

"I'm alright." he told her, "Just miscalculated the spell's power."

Ryoko's eyes immediately flickered to his sword, which had ghostly purple flames licking at the blade, and smirked.

"Like the first time?" she suggested.

Daraen nodded, "Chrom, switch with Ryoko, keep them off our backs! Levi, with him! Prepare to switch with me on my signal!"

Ryoko turned to the Grimeal leader, glowering at him, and charged.

Levi descended and started attacking the cultists, using his powerful Breath attacks to hit the most targets at once.

"Switch!" she roared.

Chrom made one last swing before Ryoko caught up and he disengaged the Grimeal, letting the Dragon attack freely.

"You _dare_ defy Grima?" the man spat.

"I will not follow you mad liars!" Ryoko shot back venomously. "Not now, not ever!"

"You'll learn to watch what you speak, brat!" the man shouted angrily, "A few days in our care will see you eating those words! We'll see of you still believe that your pathetic gods will save you then!"

Ryoko growled angrily, causing her sword's glow to tinge red.

Before she could do anything, a massive blade of wind sailed past her and slammed into the man, leaving a deep gorge in the ground sparking with leftover electricity.

Daraen panted harshly at the huge amount of magic he had just used. "We can… save ourselves…" he straightened, "…just fine."

The red energy flickered a few times before disappearing.

"Switch!"

With that, Daraen turned to the other Grimeal, while their leader was engulfed by hellfire from above.

"Chrom, switch!" Levi shouted a moment later.

Ryoko and Chrom charged at the sorcerer simultaneously from opposite directions.

The cultist barely managed to jump aside, thinking the two would clash.

However, Falchion and Drexion's wielders skillfully avoided a collision and landed neatly, turning to him.

Falchion glowed an intense golden, and a weakened version of Dragonskin was granted to Chrom.

Their opponent shot a few spells at them.

The older of the two was quick to spring into action, the Dragon's Claw blurring into the spells' path and cutting them.

The Ylissean prince was slower to move, but he followed his elder's lead without hesitation, using his blade to break the spells he couldn't avoid.

At an unspoken signal, Ryoko activated Dragonskin and they jumped forward.

Their opponent tried to dodge, but Ryoko struck low and tripped him while he was distracted by Chrom's swing at his head.

The two pressed their attack relentlessly, skillfully dancing around each other as they made short work of their enemy.

The man tried to retaliate, but neither received noticeable damage from his attacks the few times they mistimed their dodges.

Finally, Chrom managed to deal the final blow to the sorcerer.

The man fell to the floor, dead.

Falchion's glow faded, and with it the scales protecting Chrom. A moment later, Drexion returned to its normal form, and with it the woman's Dragon Mask dispelled.

Ryoko stumbled a bit, but managed to keep her balance.

There was a dull thump.

She turned towards it, only to find Chrom passed out.

"Well, that went well." She muttered sarcastically.

.

"This is just the worst. Day. EVER!" Nowi cried, sobbing a bit.

"Ho now, wee one!" Gregor reassured the girl, "Do not make with the crying of tears. The evil people are now dead people. This is good, no?"

The girl sniffled a little. "You… You're right. Th-thank you. And… I'm sorry I was so mean to you earlier. I just get nervous around people who are…" she hesitated a moment, "outside my age group."

Ryoko snorted inelegantly.

They were all newborn brats compared to even the youngest of Manaketes, her and Levi included.

"Your age group?" the brown-haired mercenary said. "Ha! Gregor much closer to your age than others here!"

"Say, um… Gregor, was it?" Chrom asked, still a bit dazed. "Do you mind looking after her? We need to press on."

Gregor hummed thoughtfully. "Gregor is mercenary, yes? Maybe you hire Gregor instead." He suggested. "True, Gregor just finish killing former employers, but still very reliable! So long as you not try to hurt little girl, Gregor will not hurt you. Also, Gregor need steady income. Many angry former employers."

Ryoko groaned. "Again? Damn, your luck with employers is worse than mine."

Chrom raised an eyebrow.

"Gregor and Roy never hurt innocents." Gregor explained. "So we have to kill bad employers instead."

Ryoko laughed, "You're the one who kills those who hire you for these kind of things! I prank the hell out of them." She turned to Chrom, "Unfortunately, more often than not, we get approached with offers to capture or kill kids, women or animals, and sometimes we don't know it until we're hired. We never complete those jobs, though. I either leave or humiliate them until they drop the job."

Chrom nodded, turning to Gregor, "So, you're a sellsword?"

"Yes!" Gregor said enthusiastically, "Very swell sword! Cost performance very high. You have Gregor's word."

Chrom shrugged. "Sure, why not? You're hired."

"But! But what about me?!" Nowi shouted, panicking, "I _won't_ go back on the auction block!"

Levi and Ryoko both barely restrained enraged growls.

"Wait." Lissa said, disgusted, "You've been sold? Like a… like a slave?!"

"To men more despicable than you can possibly imagine." Nowi replied, "They made me transform for them…. They drank and laughed and called out tricks…."

" _WHAT_?!" Levi growled angrily. "They better _wish_ I never find them, or they will be pleading for the _mercy_ of death within the hour!"

Ryoko nodded in clear agreement, still trying not to growl.

"What kind of scumbags buy and sell a little girl?!" Lissa exclaimed, "Even if she _can_ turn into a Dragon…. That just makes it _worse_!"

"She may be little, milady, but not nearly so young as you might think." Frederick told Lissa, "Dragonkin, especially Manaketes, live a very long time."

"Really?" Lissa asked Nowi curiously, "…How old are you?"

"Oh, I dunno." The Manakete replied, trying to remember, "…A thousand… something?" she smiled cheerfully. "But look! No wrinkles!"

Lissa nodded, slightly confused.

"Us Dragonkin are much stronger than men." Levi explained, his previous anger pushed aside, "So much, that we cannot access our powers directly. Manaketes, for example, have their Dragonstone, while Dragons have something called the Dragon Mask, which serves as a buffer for the stronger abilities and transformations. And since our immense power is rarely used, it slows down our aging a lot."

"So you two are, like, super old or something?" Lissa questioned.

The purple-haired Dragon laughed, "Nah, we're about Lady Emmeryn's age. We'll stop aging either when we hit forty or when we quit using our magic so often."

Lissa asked another question, but Ryoko tuned the two out in favor of doing something else.

"Hey, boss," she asked Chrom, "I've been meaning to ask for a while, but might as well do this now. Can I form a Wing in the Shepherds for all the fliers? Nowi's more than welcome to join in, and we might as well go all out now that we outed ourselves to the Grimeal."

Chrom shrugged, caught off guard by the question. "Sure. The girls might benefit from the company, and I don't have any problems with it so long as they don't mind. What will you call it?"

"I was thinking…" Ryoko replied, "…the Dragonwings."

"That's such a cool name!" Nowi declared, "Can I really join? Please?"

Levi chuckled in amusement at her antics, "As long as the Pegasus Knights agree to forming it, you're welcome to join it. Otherwise, well… we'll just have to form an unofficial group, I guess." He turned to Ryoko, "I assume I am invited as well?"

"Yup." The green-eyed Dragon said. "You _can_ fly, after all."

They were interrupted by Nowi throwing herself at them and hugging them.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" she cried, "Now I won't be all alone anymore!"

.

That night, Levi had convinced Ryoko to sneak out of camp to see something he had found during his travels.

She'd been reluctant at first, more interested in sleeping off her exhaustion than exploring.

The male Dragon needled her until she gave up and agreed.

So far, they'd been walking for little longer than half an hour, getting further and further away from the village, and Ryoko was beginning to lose her patience.

Levi had led them to a cave.

The cave was massive, full of intersections, dead ends, false paths, secret passages, _more_ intersections, some traps, some skeletons of unfortunate people who fell in those traps and some more dead ends and secret passages.

Oh, and did she mention the secret passages?

Ryoko was already completely confused as to where she was, and the twisting passages were giving her a headache.

"Ugh, how far is it?" she asked, annoyed, "We've been walking for _ages_! Did you get lost again?"

"No, I know where we're going." Levi reassured her confidently, "It's just a little further. Trust me, the view will be worth it."

Ryoko rolled her eyes, unconvinced.

Sure, the secret cave was really cool and all, but it was the middle of the night and she just wanted to sleep for once. The large scale battle had sapped what little energy the heat hadn't.

Still, she followed her… partner? Boyfriend? Potential mate? even if all she wanted was to drop somewhere and sleep until it was night again.

To her relief, it wasn't long before they emerged from the cave.

They were standing on a small ledge overlooking a hidden oasis.

Walls of rock and crystal protected it from the weather and from prying eyes while still leaving a view of the sky.

The water was glowing softly under the full moon, and the stars were even more easily visible from there. A number of colored crystals were sticking out of the walls and water, making the light shift from white to green to red to violet and many other colors in an ever shifting aurora.

A small waterfall was coming out of the walls at different heights, and their elevated position made her feel right at home. A gentle breeze was making her hair and scarf sway a little.

Ryoko was speechless.

She took it all in with awe.

"Told you it was worth the trek." Levi said smugly.

She wanted to shush him for ruining her moment, but it didn't feel right.

"Levi, it's…" she searched for something to describe it, but couldn't, "beautiful…."

The word somehow felt like it wasn't enough, but it was all she could think of.

"Yeah." Levi agreed softly, his face slightly red, "But not as much as you."

"R-Really?" Ryoko stuttered, embarrassed. "I'm nothing much."

Levi nodded, still red in the face, "Yeah. You're perfect just like you are."

Ryoko blushed heavily, "Thanks, Levi."

They sat on the ledge for a few moments in companionable silence.

But was it still that? Or was it something more?

The words of the Elder echoed in her mind and did nothing to stop her from making a good impression of a tomato, much to her chagrin.

"Well, I've been thinking a lot lately…" Levi started, but didn't know how to continue.

"You? Thinking?" she teased lightly, and smiled softly, "I guess that with what's been happening everyone is doing a lot of that. I know _I_ am."

Levi smiled. "Yeah, I guess so."

He slowly stood, helping her up even though he was practically shaking in nervousness.

"Well…" he tried, "I… that is…." He took a deep breath and offered her a pretty silver ring. "Ryoko, will you marry me?"

Ryoko's eyes widened in shock and surprise.

"You're the best battle partner that I could ever ask for." He continued, "Heck, you're the best partner any Dragon could ever have, if they got their heads out of their asses and saw what was in front of them. You're strong, you don't let anything hold you back, even if it's yourself, and even if you're a sarcastic antisocial badass, you're kind, you protect your friends no matter what it takes and everything about you just makes me wonder if perfection if actually standing right in front of my eyes."

"I…" she whispered, trying and failing to find her words.

She thought she felt tears fall down her cheeks, but she wasn't really sure.

How did she reply to something like that?

How did she even _react_?

She had been alone half of her life. She had Grimeal hunting for her, Walhart wanting to either recruit her or kill her, and bore what was basically the trigger to the end of the world.

She was small, flat-chested, her insane strength scared most people off and her personality tended to drive them away after the job was done.

And, besides that, she was basically immortal and most of her kind were narcissistic assholes who she wanted nothing to do with.

Not to mention her past.

Ryoko had given up hope of ever finding a stable relationship with anyone who she might be interested to before she was killed alone in battle.

And yet, Levi had admitted that he wanted her. He wanted her even if she was flat-chested, even if she didn't have an adult body despite her power, even if she would have to leave to the Lands Beyond The Sea to live somewhat peacefully.

He wanted her not as a friend, or as a battle partner, but as a _life mate_.

He wanted Ryoko, even if there were thousands of better people to spend eternity with.

"…yes." She finally whispered.

She broke into a happy grin and happily threw herself at his neck, "Skies, _yes_!"

Calming down slightly, she smiled, "I'd be honored to be with you for the rest of our lives."

"I hope that I'll be worthy of you then, Princess." Levi told her with a smile.

She blushed at the nickname.

"Don't worry, the Great Dragon is the only one worthy." Ryoko reassured him teasingly, smiling, "You're much better company than any 'valiant hero' anyways."

Levi smiled, relieved, "I'm glad you think so."

He rubbed the back of his head, embarrassed, "You know, when I was following you, I just wanted to get to know you. I really didn't know how, though, so…."

"I was looking for excuses as well, you know?" Ryoko admitted sheepishly, "With everything I've been through, though…."

"Well, you have me now." Levi stated firmly. "And I love you. Forever."

Ryoko lost herself in his red eyes, in that beautiful place, the ring now resting on her finger.

"I love you too." She replied. "Now shut up and kiss me."

"Gladly." Levi said.

A moment later, his lips here on hers, and she melted into the kiss, the two Dragons lowering themselves to the ground again.

Magic danced around them, wrapping them in a comfortable warmth despite the cold night of the desert.

.

Unnoticed by Ryoko and Levi, two spirits bore witness to the confession.

One was a woman with long hair, wearing a beautiful flowing dress.

The other was a man in battle armor with short and unruly hair.

They smiled to each other as the two younglings broke their kiss for air and grinned dazedly before doing it again.

They watched over them and smiled as they grew more and more bold the longer they stayed.

The magic of the cave danced around them, adding to the light bouncing off the crystals and waterfalls.

Soulfire sprung around the Dragons, mixing with the tendrils of magic and itself.

Three pairs of intangible silver wings formed on Ryoko's back, while a single pair of black ones formed on Levi's own back.

The female spirit smiled to herself.

 _"It reminds me of ourselves during our youth."_

The male merely smiled fondly.

The pair watched for a few minutes longer before letting their forms to dissolve in the dancing magic.

And, as one, they spoke.

 _ **"We accept your promise, Children of Dragons, and bless your union. May you always stay together as life mates through fair winds and storms."**_

.

When dawn came, Ryoko was woken up by light hitting her eyes.

She was sore and ached from the previous day, she was tired as if she had missed two nights of sleep.

However, none of that could disrupt her happiness once she realized where she was.

She was still right outside that cave, curled up next to Levi.

And neither of them had _anything_ on.

She _didn't_ blush. _She did not_.

(Actually, she did.)

She also had something in her hand.

A pair of feathers, glowing like soulfire. One silver, one black.

She hummed happily as she pressed closer to her Levi.

It was not a dream! Last night was not a dream!

Levi wanted her. He really wanted to put up with her for the rest of their lives.

Levi asked her to marry him.

It took all of Ryoko's self-control not to let out a happy squeal and jump all over the place like an excited hatchling.

Her efforts were all void when Levi opened his eyes and smiled at her.

* * *

 **Those last two lines? I imagined for half a second an hyperactive young Ryoko on a sugar high receiving something she wanted for her birthday.**

 **A-Anyways... chapter notes! The first scene with the three OCs is there to show just how fucked up is the Grimeal cult. Don't worry, neither of them lived past this chapter.**

 **Ryoko and Levi, being raised in Ferox, hate the heat. In their conversation, Levi is referring to their making the Plegian think they are just overly powerful mages.**

 **Nowi's POV was very interesting to say the least. I think of her as a very sheltered girl who grew up on the other side of the world and only recently started exploring... only to get herself caught by slavers. I also think that she's, at most, around four or five hundred, but wants to look strong to the Shepherds by making herself older.**

 **And, yes, Ryoko met Gregor during one of her jobs and became friends with him. He calls her 'little' to tease her for her rather small stature compared to himself and because she was barely a teen then.**

 **The scene with the village has a very important purpose. Talon is meant to represent how Dragons normally are: extremely powerful, extremely long-lived, stuffy, manpulative and set in his precious traditions no matter what. Riisha will make an appearance later on, but Loki most likely will remain just the most infamous prankster for this story.**

 **The battle with the map's boss was something that gave me a lot of trouble to write, but in the end I decided to go for overkill on both sides and have him try to overwhelm the Shepherds with numbers while they keep the mooks busy so that Chrom and Ryoko can finish him off.**

 **The reason for keeping more Pegasus Knights alive is here: the Dragonwings. Originally, it was meant to be for the elite fighters, but then I realized that the name was something I could see as a PK Wing's name, and it took a life of its own.**

 **The last scenes are Ryoko and Levi's S-Support and the aftermath. I was listening to** **'Ha ha! Yes, it will take some getting used to!' from the soundtrack when I was writing and editing it. The feathers Ryoko finds in her hand in the morning mean that they are all but married. That will come later, when they're not at war.**

 **Well, that's it for this chapter, I hope you all liked it!**


	22. Fading Lights

**Hello, my dear readers!**

 **Before getting to the chapter, I'll give you a warning: as the chapter's title implies, THINGS WILL GET DARK UNTIL THE END OF THE ARC. I don't think it's anything _too_ graphic, but keep in mind that it _is_ a war.**

 **If you think it's too much, let me know and I'll bring up the rating.**

 **Well, enough stalling, I'll leave you to the chapter.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 _ **Fire Emblem: Dragon's Claw**_

 **~ Chapter 20 ~**

 **Fading Lights**

"So, Captain, let me be certain I understand your report…." Aversa purred menacingly, "Not only did you _not_ confirm that the Ylissean party carries the Fire Emblem… But you can't be certain Prince Chrom is even among them? Is that the gist of it?"

The terrified soldier quickly nodded. "Y-yes, milady! The air was thick with sand— even their number was difficult to ascertain."

"Perhaps if you had gotten closer, Captain." The white-haired woman hissed, "Here, let me show you…."

She approached the soldier like a predator stalking its prey, and the soldier tried to back up.

"N-no! I'm sorry, I—"

Aversa quickly stabbed the man in the heart with a dagger and threw him to the ground roughly, gently licking the blood off her weapon.

"Apology accepted." She said.

"Do please try not to kill _all_ the soldiers, my dear." Gangrel reproached her lightly, "We'll need a few for the welcoming party. The Ylisseans will be here soon— Chrom and the Emblem among them, I'm sure. That bleeding-heart prince would never put good sense before his sister!"

He laughed madly, as if it were all a joke to him.

She guessed that, in a way, it was.

It was not important anyways.

She had her mission to accomplish, and the man was just a filthy pawn in the end. Nothing more, nothing less.

"…And when they arrive?" she asked.

The Mad King of Plegia howled in laughter. "It will be a massacre worthy of their legendary father!"

.

The spy waited for his contact to arrive at the designated meeting spot.

"Tell me…" a voice said from behind a pillar, "…are you someone who seeks truths?"

The password… his contact had arrived.

The spy leaned casually against the pillar. "I pride myself in finding them."

A man came into view, his only recognizable feature was an orange scarf with black designs hiding his face.

"Follow me." The man said, "The others will be waiting for your information."

The spy nodded, casually strolling behind the man between the dark streets.

Nobody paid them any mind, and the man led him to a shadowed alley.

"Now…" the man said, "this might be slightly disconcerting, but Shadow Travel is the fastest way, and it might gain us precious time."

The spy nodded in acknowledgment.

The man grabbed his shoulder firmly and stepped into the shadows.

The spy was assaulted by the uncomfortable sensation of being incorporeal, but it ended soon after and they appeared in a more illuminated room.

He stumbled a bit, but the man helped him regain his balance.

"Dusk." Someone else, a girl, said. "Just in time."

"Silver." The man greeted.

The spy knew those were not their real names, but he understood the need for secrecy, especially at this stage.

"I'll get going, then." Dusk said.

Silver nodded. "Yes, it's for the best. Blues and Bubbles are waiting."

The man handed the scarf to the girl with a small smile, who easily put it on as if it were a veil.

"We need to start moving, too." Silver told him.

The spy nodded in agreement and gestured for her to lead on.

She did, quickly moving through the streets of another village until they were relatively out of sight.

Then she placed a hand on his waist and with a flash of light they were suddenly further from the village and near an oasis where a massive gray Wyvern.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, Zeiss." Silver said.

The Wyvern nodded, and Silver helped him up before climbing on its back herself.

Then they were off.

In less than five minutes of flight, they arrived at the Ylissean camp, where his employer was waiting.

Silver jumped down from the Wyvern's back and stroked its neck. "Thanks, Zeiss. Bring my apologies to Azura?"

It nodded and took off again as soon as his feet touched the ground.

Silver turned to him. "I apologize for the abrupt mode of traveling, but speed was the priority in this situation, and our ranges are still something we need to work on."

The spy nodded in acceptance. "I'm used to sudden changes of plans in my line of work, and, as you said, speed was the priority. Will I be working with you two again in the future?"

"Ah, that would be telling!" the girl said teasingly. "I'm sure you'll see Zeiss around. He likes you."

Unsure of how to take it, the spy remained silent.

Silver waved her hand cheerfully and disappeared in a flash of light.

His employer shook his head. "Honestly, those two…."

He remained silent, waiting for further instructions.

"You have ten minutes to prepare your report." His employer ordered, "After that, I want you in the meeting tent with it."

The spy nodded. "I will get going then."

Without any more words, the spy left to quickly write down his report, troubled by what he had heard.

.

"The Exalt is to be executed at the castle on the morrow three days from now. I heard if from the king's own lips, sire."

The spy's report was troubling.

"This is it, then." Basilio declared.

"Exactly as you predicted, Daraen." Chrom told his friend, impressed.

Daraen nodded grimly. "For now, at least. The true test has yet to come."

"Chin up, there!" Flavia shouted. "Show some confidence! It's your thinking that's got us this far. The plan is risky, but only as much is called for."

"We'll find a way to see it through, Daraen." Chrom reassured the silver-haired tactician, "Don't worry. This time in three days, we'll be swapping stories with Emm on the road home."

 _'I hope you're right, Chrom. I hope you're right.'_ Ryoko sighed.

 _ **Worrying will not help. For now, focus on finalizing the rituals.**_

 _'But…'_ she hesitated, _'are you sure?'_

 _ **The last safeguard will give you back the bulk of your magic.**_ Grima replied confidently, _**It's the only way to ensure it won't go down the drain.**_

 _'Do you think I can do it?'_

 _ **No. I**_ **know** _ **you can. Do not worry about me.**_

 _ **.**_

"Master," the sorcerer reported, "Exalt Emmeryn is to be put to death on the morrow. Events will soon be back on course."

The shadows shifted menacingly.

" _ **You have done well to report this, my servant. And let his be a reminder that their fate has been set in stone.**_ "

The sorcerer laughed. "Yes, I should never have doubted the truth of your words. The yoke of destiny cannot be cast off! Even as they resist, they write your future with every step, O great one!"

" _ **Exactly. And now that events are as they should, you will prepare for my return.**_ "

The sorcerer bowed. "As you will, Master."

.

Daraen screamed as he shot up from bed, covered in sweat and magic gathering at his fingertips.

What was that?

"Daraen?" his tent mate, Chrom, asked sleepily. "Are you alright? Was it another nightmare?"

Daraen nodded shakily.

"Well, we might as well start preparing."

.

«In the name of the Fallen Raven, by the will of the Seal Holder, I invoke the Guardian Dragon's power to aid in the battles to come. Blood to blood. Father to Child. Dragon to Dragon. I ask for His blessing and the strength to protect my comrades.»

The spell snapped into place. Immense power flooded through Ryoko's entire being. The power of a Dragon. The power of a Summoner of Ravenfall.

The power she had lost when she became the next Seal Holder.

 _'…Grima? Are you still there?'_

There was no reply. The immense silence stretched at the other end of the bond, unwavering. The familiar magic, the weight of the Seal… gone.

 _'I guess not.'_

Despite everything, she couldn't help but feel a tinge of sorrow for the annoyance that had turned out to be a great friend and confidant, not to mention a teacher.

She had come to enjoy listening to his commentary.

Ryoko sighed.

"I hear you leave tomorrow."

She turned to the voice quickly, ready to draw her sword.

She relaxed her stance with a sigh. "Elder Talon."

"I apologize for startling you, child." The old man said, "I just came to see you."

"We leave at sunrise." Ryoko told him, "We have a hard march ahead of us."

"I see…." Talon sighed, "Do be careful, child. Lately, the Black Winds howl stronger by the day."

She was silent for a few moments as she registered that information.

"The Black Wind?" she asked, "Are you sure?"

The old man nodded solemnly. "Absolutely. They're especially strong around your prince, the tactician and yourself."

Ryoko's expression settled into a hard scowl.

She growled quietly, "That does not mean anything. We will survive. We will save Lady Emerina."

"This is serious, young lady! The—"

"Did they howl for Riisha, too?" she interrupted angrily, "Did they howl when she was still Raven and lost her arm, _Tawera_?"

The old man gasped, paling.

"Yes, I know." Ryoko smirked in satisfaction, "You abandoned your little sister to stay here and guard the villages. Wasn't it lucky that Flocke got to her in time and she only lost an arm?

"You can stay here and cower. _I_ will fight, Black Winds be damned."

"H-How?" the old man asked.

"Too many coincidences with few explanations." Ryoko replied easily, "Isn't it strange how Riisha and Loki refuse to pronounce your original name as they tell the tale?"

With those parting words, Ryoko stormed off, leaving behind the shocked old man who put too much stock in fate.

She found it ridiculous.

The tides of time might follow a certain path, but that did not mean that it was to happen.

Foreseeing the future was nothing but a warning of the most likely path. She had carved her own future with blood and tears since she had the Seal, and she would continue to do so.

Nothing more, nothing less.

.

This was it.

Today was the day.

Today Emmeryn's execution would take place.

They would save her. Daraen made sure that they would.

Already, the plan was moving along.

The two Khans were in position, the Dragonwings were waiting to take to the skies.

The Plegian King stood on a rock overlooking the the gathered people, making the final speech.

Emmeryn was on the edge of a thin, long rock not far from him, a menacing man with an ax right behind her with a gleeful look on his face.

Everyone was waiting, tense.

"Good people!" Gangrel shouted, "Warriors of Plegia! Welcome! Welcome, one and all! Your anticipation electrifies the air! We ALL remember the crimes of Ylisse…. Would you have their witch-queen answer for them? Here? Today? NOW? YEEEEEEEEEEEES! Finally, we will have JUSTICE! EXECUTIONER! If you would be so kind…."

"Flavia!" Daraen shouted, giving the signal.

"I've got him!" the woman replied.

With a powerful and precise throw, the woman's throwing ax buried itself in the executioner's chest, killing him and making him fall to the ground.

"EVERYONE! NOW!"

.

"Take out all the soldiers first! We'll deal with the Mad King later!" she heard the prince say.

The dark mage was indifferent to it.

She didn't even want to be here.

"Oh will you now?" the king rebutted, laughing madly, "We've been expecting you, Little Prince. Men: Kill him. Kill his sister. Kill his troops and his friends and anyone else you find! KILL THEM AAAAAAAAALL!"

The woman scoffed even as the group advanced. "So we're to kill or die here, simply because the king commands it? What do I care of these Ylisseans? We're given no reasons to fight, only orders. What's the point? Besides, I've always been quite good at choosing who to hate on my own…."

She stayed at her post, muttering darkly, and at the same time observing two of the men.

One of them was practically emitting darkness as he fought, but something in his magic told her he was clearly taken and likely more than she could handle.

There was another like him, who was neither in battle nor visible, but she didn't care much.

Oh, no… what drew her interest was in the other man, the one giving orders left and right, while at the same time flinging spells and killing anyone who got too close with his sword.

All that latent power….

Yes, she decided… he would be hers, one way or another….

.

"Sully, Stahl! Start drawing them towards us!" Daraen ordered, "Virion, Miriel, Ricken! Take care of the mages and armored units!"

He sidestepped the ax about to take off his head, and quickly killed his opponent.

"Levi, you and the Dragonwings are on the advance team! Take out whoever you can, but be careful! Kellam, Vaike, Gregor, you keep the ranged fighters safe!"

Three men fell at his spells, while a fourth was killed by his sword.

"Frederick, Chrom, Lon'qu and Lissa! We'll make our own advance from the ground!"

Everyone hastened to take their positions, and Daraen hoped they would make it in time.

"Anna, Gaius, Panne and Donnel, you three help wherever you can. Maribelle, you're with the mages!"

The group advanced steadily, taking out the first line of defense without much trouble and capturing a few forts on the way.

"Keep the enemy from retaking the forts!" he shouted once they regrouped a little, "We may need them later!"

"Where is the damn Wyvern Brigade?!" The enemy commanding officer demanded in irritation. "Hurry! Close off their escape!"

Daraen smirked to himself when a group of riderless Wyverns suddenly escaped, followed shortly by two others and by Ryoko and Azura being pursued by what little Wyvern Riders still remained.

The Dragonwings were quick to return to the back lines to aid the blue-haired Dragon, Nowi and Levi at the lead.

Chrom killed a soldier with a powerful swing of his Falchion.

They could do this.

.

Libra easily danced around the enemy's swords, lances and axes, trying his best to reach the Exalt in time, his brother by his side.

"They're ganging up on us, Brother!" Kynthelieg warned.

He absently healed him, more focused on not being killed by the Plegian warriors.

"We must still press on!" Libra insisted, "Have faith that we will be able to hold out at the very least!"

With a swift movement of his ax, a soldier who had been about to take out his brother fell.

"Yes." Kynthelieg replied, "And I pray that Ryoko at least will make it to the Exalt unharmed."

Taking out another soldier, Libra agreed, "And I as well, Brother."

.

Mather swiftly avoided a Wyvern Rider's ax and counterattacked, silently thanking the hell Ryoko and Levi unleashed on her and her sisters called 'training'.

Had they not been avoiding the much faster surprise attacks from the three Dragonkin for the last month, they would have been already dead.

Instead, Mather was easily able to replicate the woman's stunts with Ivis and not get killed.

She gently reassured her Pegasus as she took out a small hunting bow.

"Steady now, girl." She whispered, "Let's surprise these guys a little, alright?"

Ivis simply leveled out her flight pattern uneasily slightly above the enemy Wyvern Riders, letting Mather take aim.

The woman shakily placed the arrow on her bow, trying to calm herself.

She could do this.

Taking a deep breath to steady herself, she drew the bow, aiming as best as she could before releasing the arrow.

The Wyvern Riders panicked as one of their numbers was killed by an invisible archer, making Mather regain her confidence.

"Now!" Ryoko shouted, giving the signal.

Cordelia and Frau suddenly swapped out their lances for tomes, making assaulting the Wyverns from range while Sumia and Verna occasionally moved in for a strike, Nowi and Levi stayed in their Dragon forms to deal massive damage and Ryoko alternated between Dragon Maw and magical attacks.

Soon enough, there were no more Wyvern Riders.

Mather cheered loudly for her first success as a flying archer.

She was already loving the Dragonwings.

She had feared that they would suffer the same fate as the Bluewings, only without survivors, but Ryoko and Levi, and sometimes Nowi, trained them all relentlessly and they had become stronger in no time.

And, for all the childishness of it, playing 'air tag' with Nowi had helped them all with their speed and agility.

" _ **I told you girls you could do it!**_ " Levi said, grinning in his Dragon form before turning human and landing smoothly on Azura's back.

Frau laughed as she easily caught Nowi, and they all returned to the front lines to help out, cheerfully waving at the mages' group as they went.

Verna and Sumia quickly hovered around them to heal any minor injuries with their practice staves.

The azure-haired woman smiled at her Wing-Sisters and Brother.

With them, after the death of the Bluewings, she finally felt safe enough to be able to return to the skies confidently during battle.

She knew she could still fall.

She just also knew that her Wing-Siblings would catch her in time.

.

The Dark Mage observed as the group of fliers worked as a single unit to take down the Wyvern Brigade, making quick strikes and surrounding the enemy with practiced motions that spoke of hours of practice but little experience in actually executing the moves in battle.

Well, it didn't matter anyways.

The group was well-coordinated, with two dragons attacking from one side, two magic-users from the other, an archer from above and the last one constantly moving around and switching between magic and Dragon magic.

The final two appeared to have little use as they hovered just out of range, but in a moment of pause between spells they swooped in and quickly took out one or two Wyvern Riders before retreating away from the spell fire.

She wondered how good they would have been had they had more experience.

Her rival certainly would have loved the potential for carnage in the group, and something told her there was something still missing.

A lone Wyvern hovering in the distance made her suspect that a member was missing from the formation and working on the ground instead.

The group of fliers let out a short cheer once all the Wyvern Riders fell.

The two who had not been doing much flew near all the others, sometimes emitting a small pulse of magic.

The woman's eyes widened a fraction.

They were just now beginning to specialize?!

No wonder they were so sloppy! More than half of them had little to no idea on how to do their job correctly!

The darker of the two dragons suddenly turned human, and was easily caught by the lone Wyvern Rider in their group.

The other dragon turned back and was caught by one of the Pegasus Knights.

The fliers and the riderless Wyvern all landed in an open area between forts to regroup with the rest of their army.

It was then that she noticed that the larger of the two Wyverns landed next to the man who had caught her interest.

Oh, so the little tactician was part of the group of fliers as well…. Now she was truly intrigued….

She would just have to hex any of the girls who tried to snatch his affections for themselves. He was, after all, hers.

There were a few minutes of pause, where the three with the strange power and the Manakete held off the attackers on their own.

The woman imagined that the tactician had been giving the final orders before pushing to the Exalt.

The blond woman had been watching them all without speaking a word, while the Mad King was busy shouting and complaining about his welcoming party being ruined or some sort of nonsense.

She made a few halfhearted attempts to attack the group just to shut up the oaf that was her commander.

He deserved to be cursed to oblivion for ordering her around without an ounce of respect.

Finally, the Ylisseans started striking back with all they had.

The mages all climbed on some elevated surface with the archers and started shooting back powerful spells and magic-infused arrows, while the Manakete and a few others remained behind to hold the line.

The rest, each and every one of them a warrior of some sort with the only exception of the priest and a blond cleric, charged forward.

The Plegian soldiers who met the charge didn't stand much of a chance.

Not long after, the number of spells being thrown at them lessened minutely, and the massive Wyvern, now with the tactician on its back, and two of the Pegasus Knights took to the air and joined the battle, expertly weaving among the spell fire.

At some point, the redheaded Pergasus Knight laughed.

"This is nothing!" she taunted, "Ryoko _alone_ hits better than you!"

The Dark Mage thought that if a group of sorcerers and fighters were weaker than a single girl, their group must be more interesting than she thought.

Maybe this 'Ryoko' was the one who had been using Dragon Magic?

The Manakete certainly wasn't, seeing as she was idle at the moment, while the blue Wyvern's rider was balanced on top of a pole, cheerfully shooting all manner of spells at them, some minor hexes included.

Suddenly, the object of her interests fell from the skies, though he managed to land roughly near her.

And she witnessed the ruthless efficiency in which the fliers moved when they were motivated enough.

Most of the spell fire ceased suddenly, and the group of fliers who had stayed behind immediately took flight and rushed towards them, not even retrieving their animals, but instead jumping from their perches and landing on their backs.

Any Plegian soldiers in the way were taken out by a dark spell or a massive lightning bolt.

She herself had been checking on the unconscious man, and she had been hit be a powerful stunner that left her paralyzed on the ground.

The Wyvern Rider and a green-haired girl landed, while the rest circled the area protectively.

"'Ren!" the Wyvern Rider called as she jumped down, revealing her rather short stature. "Daraen!"

Daraen… so that was his name…. Definitively an interesting one.

The girl, however, would need to back off on her own or suffer the consequences.

She knelt by the silver-haired tactician, but still keeping the dark mage in her sight. Smart.

The green-haired girl approached.

"Is he alright?" she asked.

The woman nodded absently. "Nothing life-threatening at the moment, Frau. Go tend to Zeiss."

The girl nodded hastily and left to look after the man's Wyvern, who had been bleeding badly.

The shorter girl was quick to return to examining the unconscious man carefully and cursed to herself.

"Damn it all." She hissed, "Fucking poison darts, I can deal with. This kind of hexing?"

And she proceeded to curse again.

The Dark Mage forced herself to move.

She wouldn't let the object of her interest die, damn it!

"I-I… c-can… help…." She managed to say.

The other woman seemed to consider something.

"Aren't you with the Plegians?" she snapped irritably, though the spell keeping the mage paralyzed relented a little.

"Death comes for all of us eventually." She replied darkly. "Why invite it early, fighting for a cause I don't believe in?"

"Should I take it as a no?" the girl asked.

"Let's just say I'm keeping my options open." She replied. "I mean, long live the king and all, but I'd like to keep living as well. And I have a bit of a rebellious streak, I'm afraid. A… dark side."

The other's smirk at the reply was a dangerous one.

"Then help me keep him alive and I'll let you fight for our cause." She said.

"…You would trust me? What if this is just a ploy to plunge a dagger in your back?" the mage asked, curious about the reply.

"You seem sincere." The other replied. "And Dragons know of these things. 'Sides, I already have to watch my back."

"Well, that's odd…." She commented, "Usually when I bring up the backstabbing bit the discussion is over. Alright, then— consider me your new ally. …For now."

The spell keeping her pinned dissolved as if it had never been there, and the woman slowly got up.

"Slow down the poison." The girl ordered, looking for something in her many pouches.

"Tharja." She said as she worked, earning an absentminded hum from the shorter woman.

The man, Daraen, was easily brought into a sort-of stasis by a few easily reversed hexes, and Tharja worked to undo the malevolent ones remaining in him.

"My name." She clarified. "Tharja."

The girl pulled out a small flask with a triumphant shout, which she put aside before starting to remove the darts.

"Ryoko." She stated. "Lightning Dragon. This is Daraen."

Then she turned to the green-haired girl. "Frau!"

"I'm done, Wing-Commander!" the girl shouted back, "Just a moment!"

"'Ren may not have that moment!" Ryoko replied snappily, "This is worse than I thought!"

The green-haired girl, Frau, hastened to get back to them, staff in hand.

"Keep him alive while I remove the darts." Ryoko ordered them both. "Frau, as soon as I'm done, give him this, and heal him with the staff."

Tharja mumbled an acknowledgment.

"R-Right." Frau said nervously.

There was a long whistle from above.

Ryoko merely continued to do her job, though Tharja could feel her magic was more tense.

They worked in silence for a few tense minutes, before Frau finally could heal Daraen and Tharja released her hexes.

The man groaned.

"He needs a real healer and he needs it now!" Frau informed them, "I can't deal with broken ribs!"

Ryoko cursed.

"Bring him to the closest healer and make sure he's cleared for a quick battle."

Frau nodded, quickly placing the man on her Pegasus and flying off.

Ryoko wasted no time to climb on her Wyvern's back and turned to Tharja.

"You're with me." She said. "We'll take out the Wyverns from below until Daraen can return, then you're with him in the close range groups."

Without waiting for a reply, they were in the air, the group of fliers easily moving to surround the Wyvern Riders that tried to flank them.

Like before, the group waited for a moment.

"Levi, Nowi!"

The two Dragons suddenly started attacking the Wyverns, followed by the two mages.

"Verna, Cordelia, switch to Wind!"

Instead of fire or thunder spells, the women started using wind spells to cut down the Wyvern Riders.

"Mather, be careful! Sumia, come in every twenty seconds and attack!"

The women all acknowledged her orders, moving in without question.

From below, Fire and Thunder spells were aimed at the trapped Wyvern Riders, while Ryoko and Tharja were keeping anyone from escaping the circle.

Twenty seconds passed, and the spell fire thinned a little.

Sumia dived in the middle of the enemy fliers and took out a few, emerging from below moments before they resumed firing at full speed.

Once more, Tharja was taken aback by the sheer efficiency of the strategy.

Two more rounds passed before Zeiss screeched and Daraen and Frau joined them.

Tharja had to jump on the other Wyvern's back, and managed to land right.

Holding on to the tactician, she resumed firing hexes and spells at the Wyvern Riders.

"Alternate!" Ryoko ordered. "First Sumia and Frau, then 'Ren and Tharja! 'Lia, switch to Elwind! Levi, prepare to switch out! Nowi, tune it down!"

To Tharja's surprise, everyone still listened to Ryoko without protests, even the tactician. But then again, a more experienced flier was the one who needed to take control of an aerial battle.

"Mages, take care of the swordsmen!" Daraen shouted as they waited for their turn. "Vaike and Miriel, pair up! Lon'qu, guard Lissa! Donny and Panne, now!"

Again, Tharja was surprised as the tactician coordinated the battle while shooting at the remaining Wyverns and taking their turns.

"Kellam, Frederick, block their advance! Sully and Stahl, flank them! Virion, snipe at the enemies further away!"

"Levi, switch!" Ryoko shouted, jumping from her Wyvern and landing on the darker Dragon before jumping again.

She turned into a silver Dragon at the same time as the other one became a man, easily landing on the Wyvern and taking Ryoko's place in keeping anyone from escaping.

"Sumia, go with Chrom!"

The woman killed one of the remaining Wyvern Riders and left.

Frau retreated behind the others, and the two Dragons released one final attack, killing them all.

"The skies are clear!" the Ylissean prince shouted, and a brief purple flare was lit in the skies.

.

As the flare faded, the Dragonwings circled overhead.

From every hidden and shadowed corner, the Pegasus Knights that had been captured when the Mad King had invaded the capital took to the skies.

The commander directed her Pegasus to fly towards Emmeryn.

"Your Grace!" Phila shouted.

Emmeryn smiled. "Phila! I'm so glad to see you're safe! But how—"

"Khan Basilio's men freed me." The commander of the Pegasus Knights replied, flying closer to the blond. "Come, we must hurry!"

The woman extended her hand towards the Exalt, fighting against a sudden wind that was trying to blow her away from her liege.

Gangrel growled in fury. "What? Pegasus knights? How did they…. That damned Ylissean tactician does NOT play fair!"

The Dark Flier who acted as his aide chuckled. "Yes. Well, neither do I. Risen, appear!"

"TO GROUND!" Ryoko roared at her Wing, knowing what was about to happen. "Fall back out of range! NOW!"

A massive Horde of Risen archers appeared, surrounding the Pegasus Knights and drawing their bows, ready to shoot at a moment's notice.

"Risen?!" Daraen exclaimed, landing Zeiss next to Chrom. "Oh gods, no! Chrom! There are Risen everywhere!"

"Damn it! Not now!" the blue-haired man cursed.

Seeing the imminent danger, the Dragonwings reluctantly landed out of range of the archers.

Ryoko directed Azura to fly higher, knowing they could not get away from shooting range in time.

Gangrel howled in laughter. "Oh, did an army of living corpses just APPEAR out of the blue?! Truly, the heavens smile upon mighty King Gangrel this day!"

All of this happened in an instant.

Immediately after, Phila was pierced by no less than five arrows.

"Y-Your Grace, I… Forgive me" the woman choked out before falling with her Pegasus.

"Phila!" Emmeryn screamed.

"Exeunt one Pegasus knight!" Gangrel taunted, laughing maniacally. "Watch how they fall, one by one!"

Ryoko's eyes widened. "No! Get out of there!" she shouted at the Knights, even if they would never hear her, "GET OUT OF THERE!"

Her grip on Azura's saddle tightened as she held back tears.

People were about to die.

And, again, she was powerless to do anything but _watch_.

If she tried to help with Azura, they would suffer the same fate. If she tried to Flash them away, she would die from either an arrow or exhaustion. Dragonskin would not protect her from a hundred arrows, and her Dragon Form was still too weak.

She could do nothing.

Unless….

She unsheathed Drexion, looking at it speculatively.

It could be a sword, an ax, a staff and a lance, not that she could ever use that last form.

She wondered, could it become a bow?

She wanted it to.

"Bow form." She whispered, hoping, praying, that it would work, "Release."

For a second, nothing happened.

Then, a moment later, the sword reshaped itself to form a large asymmetric bow, visibly taller than she was, the grip around two thirds of the distance from the upper tip.

From limb to limb, a thin silvery strand of magic formed the string.

Smiling madly, Ryoko stood on Azura's back. "Let's do this."

Focusing, she activated her Sky-Eyes, relying on them to pick out the most dangerous targets.

She brought her weight forward, encouraging the Wyvern to dive a little, and drew, forming an arrow with her magic.

It took her a split second to aim and shoot, marveling at how little draw weight the bow had. It was almost nonexistent.

By the time the archers were shooting at them, Azura had already gotten out of range and she had bought enough time to give a few openings for someone to get some people out of the massacre.

Still, Ryoko didn't relent and kept shooting arrow after arrow, not caring neither for the strain on her magic and body or for her bleeding hands.

It felt like an eternity, but Ryoko knew that it was over in two minutes.

A hundred and eighty seconds.

That's all it took to massacre the entirety of the Pegasus Knights.

Ryoko sheathed Drexion and slumped on the saddle, sobbing.

She hated this.

"What good is the power of a Dragon if I can't protect even a single person without everything going wrong?"

* * *

 **Well, that's it for this chapter.**

 **The initial scene has the exact same script as the game, as you might have noticed. I kept the scene because I believed it was a good opportunity to excuse why *spoiler*.**

 **The scene with the spy was a fun little challenge. You may see him around sometimes later on. Who knows?**

 **The bit with the Black Winds is a reference to Chrono Trigger, which I don't own. From what I understood, they're a death omen. Ryoko calls Talon/Tawera out on his shit. You'll have to wait to find out the rest, though.**

 **I gave most of the battle's focus to Tarja for two reasons: her slightly creepy crush on the Avatar amuses me, and I had no idea on how to write this part from the Dragonwings' or the Shepherds' perspective.**

 **I gave Mather a hunting bow because they have less draw weight than war bows, and the poor girl is still learning at this point, as pointed out by Tarja. As you can see, the PKs are becoming more confident in their skills mostly because of Ryoko, Levi and Nowi's idea of light training and playing. They're slightly OP now, but the power gap will close eventually, don't worry. By then _everyone_ will be absurdly OP.**

 **And, finally, the last scene. Ryoko shouted at her wing specifically because she knows that the other Knights will not follow her orders on instinct like the Dragonwings. I decided to make Drexion's Bow form a yumi for no real reason than the fact that it's, like most of her weapons, taller than her. Ryoko can draw it easily because the blade responds to her will, but she can still hurt herself if she's not careful.**

 **But what will happen now that Gangrel holds all the cards? Find out next time!**


	23. Emmeryn

**Well, I'm back with another chapter, dear readers!**

 **Sorry for the delay, but I kinda forgot to upload the chapter's document so that I could add the notes and upload it while I was on my school trip. Sorry!**

 **To the reviewer Liune: Thanks! I'm working hard on making it work without plot holes the size of the planet. As for the fluff scenes... by the time I was to the point that I could add a few, the edited draft was so fast-paced that I had no idea of where to add any. Don't worry, though, I plan on making a collection of side stories called 'Family Life' sometime in the future. And after this arc I'll slow down the pacing so that I can add them to the main story.**

 **As for the story, last time, the Shepherds assaulted the Plegian castle to stop Emmeryn's execution, but just when the Pegasus Knights took to the field, Aversa summoned Risen Archers and, on Gangrel's order, they killed every Knight in range.**

 **Can they save Emmeryn? Well, I'll leave you to the chapter to find out!**

 **Also, beware of the beginning. It was really dark, even for me. If you want to skip it, look for the capitalized bolditaics. It should be a bit lighter from there on. But only slightly.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 _ **Fire Emblem: Dragon's Claw**_

 **~ Chapter 21 ~**

 **Emmeryn**

Arrows rained down on the Pegasi and their partners.

Ryoko roared something, but it was lost in the chaos.

Levi could only watch as she was forced to stay high in the skies and watch.

If only he had a way to get in there and rescue even some of them….

Wait.

Rescue… Lissa had a Rescue staff.

"Use the Rescue staff!" He shouted as loud as he could, "Get as many as you can out of there!"

Levi reached out with his magic, hoping against all hope that even in the scorching midday sun there would be someone, _anyone_ , whom he could pull into a shadow.

For a moment, there was.

Then not.

And then another was in his reach.

He didn't even think. He pulled the Knight into his Shadows and brought her to him.

Daraen was nearly catatonic. "No no no… _no_!"

Before he knew, it was over.

"We've lost…" Chrom whispered brokenly.

Levi could not bring himself to look away. He couldn't comprehend the sight before him.

" _NOOOOO!_ "

He had no idea of who screamed at the sight.

Perhaps it had been Daraen, or him. Maybe both. Maybe neither.

Over seventy women and Pegasi littered the castle courtyard, some covered in their own blood, some a little less, all with dozens of arrows sticking out of them in a twisted imitation of pincushions.

A few of them had died with barely even feeling it, pierced in the heart or some other major artery.

They were the lucky ones.

Only he, and maybe Ryoko and Nowi, could see and hear it, but some were still barely alive, barely hanging on and groaning in pain as they slowly bled to death, either from the arrows or from broken bones from their fall.

He could no nothing but watch the horrifying scene.

Just watch. And pray.

"Guardian Dragon, Protector Of Our Kind, please grant this brave warriors the peace that was denied to them in life." He murmured.

The Shadows whispered for a moment, and then he could no longer sense any signs of life.

He still watched the scene, unable to tear his eyes from it.

The Mad King still laughed.

"I believe this is what they call a reversal of fortunes. Now, with that small inconvenience out of the way… grovel before me! Plead! Beg for your worthless lives!"

"I'd rather give up my life than beg for it from you!" Chrom screamed angrily.

"Oh, now THAT is a good line." Gangrel taunted, "A fitting epitaph for your tombstone, perhaps? But it's not just your life in the balance. The Exalt still stands upon the block. And I have a dozen bows trained on her. All it would take is one word from me…"

He couldn't understand.

How could anyone who wasn't either Forsaken or Fallen revel in this madness— the slaughter —and still laugh and demand for more blood to be spilled?

How could someone kill so many people without flinching, just because they were _in the way_?

"You bastard!" Chrom shouted, "Emm, hold on! I'm—"

"ARCHERS!" the Plegian king interrupted loudly, "If this Ylissean pup so much as twitches, let fly your arrows!"

 _ **'HASN'T THERE BEEN ENOUGH BLOODSHED ALREADY!?'**_ he screamed in his mind.

"I…" Chrom was shaking. "I'll kill you!"

"Go ahead!" Gangrel shouted happily, "I welcome it. Just know you were responsible for Big Sister's bloody demise! …And what of the rest of you? Eh? Who wants the honor of killing the Exalt? …No one? Bah! Your merry band isn't quite so headstrong anymore, is it? Pathetic!"

"Damn you!" Chrom shouted, "You piece of shit!"

"Now, now, my boy," the Mad King said mockingly, "no one needs die today. Not you. Not the Exalt. Not your friends." He turned serious. "Just lay down your sword, and give me the Fire Emblem."

The Ylissean-Feroxi army was completely silent.

"…I…" Chrom tried to say.

"Chrom! You can't trust him!" Daraen protested.

"Of _course_ I can't trust him!" Chrom cried out despairingly, "I'm not an idiot! But if I just say no, he'll kill her! The gods are cruel, damn them! My sister or my duty…. A problem with no right answer, yet I must choose!"

"There's _got_ to be some way…." Levi whispered to himself. "There _has_ to be."

Daraen, clearly, heard him. "That's right. Don't give up now."

"If there is, I can't see it." Chrom replied.

"I will count to three!" the Mad King shouted impatiently. "Throw down your weapons, or your exalt becomes the world's largest quiver."

"Throw down Drexion?! Like _hell_!" echoed from an enraged Ryoko above them.

"One!"

Chrom glanced at him worriedly. _Any ideas?_ He wanted to ask.

Levi sighed and shook his head. _No. I'm sorry._

"Two!"

He glanced up to see Ryoko peering down from on top of Azura.

"Thr—"

"Gangrel, hold!" Chrom shouted, defeat clear in his voice, "…You win. Everyone, lay down yo—"

"No, wait!" Emmeryn interrupted.

"SILENCE!" Gangrel bellowed angrily.

"Emm…" the blue-haired prince whispered.

"King Gangrel, is there no hope you will listen to reason?" Emmeryn asked calmly.

"You mean listen to more of your sanctimonious babble?!" Gangrel exclaimed, "I think not. No, all I want to hear now is the THUNK of arrows, and a SPLAT as you hit the ground. Take one, long, last look from your perch. You do so enjoy looking down on people…. Then prepare to meet the ground, and your maker! That is, unless someone were to give me the Emblem… NOW!"

Levi growled.

For someone so against speeches, he sure liked his damn monologues.

Emmeryn was silent.

"ALRIGHT!" Chrom shouted, "Alright…. Emm, I know you won't approve, but this is my final decision. _Maybe_ someday we'll face a crisis where _maybe_ the Emblem would've helped… But I know for a fact that Ylisse needs you, today! The people need their Exalt…. And we need our sister. If those dark days should come, we'll face them together."

"Chrom…." Emmeryn said, clearly touched be her brother's determination, "Th-thank you. I know now what I must do…."

She stepped closer to the ledge.

Chrom panicked, "Emm, what are you—"

"Plegians!" Emmeryn spoke, raising her voice to be heard by everyone. "I ask that you hear the truth of my words! War will win you nothing but sadness and pain, both inside your borders and out. Free yourselves from this hatred! From this cycle of pain and vengeance. Do what you must… As I will do. See now that one selfless act has the power to change the world!"

"Emm, no!" Chrom shouted, "No!"

He could almost see Ryoko debating on whether to jump or not.

She was certainly asking herself, _Is the risk worth trying?_

There was a moment of complete and total silence, during which Emmeryn shed a single tear.

A tiny breeze passed him, carrying a strand of thought.

 _'No reaction… Was I wrong, then? Chrom… This is some torch I'm passing you.'_ A sigh echoed, _'So be it. Chrom… Lissa… And all my people…'_

Emmeryn stepped forward, letting herself fall.

 _'…Know that I loved you.'_

Then, without even hesitating, she stepped forward… and fell.

Ryoko jumped after her, smoothly avoiding the arrows shot at her.

The Shepherds could only stare in horror at the falling woman.

Chrom tried to reach her, but he could not even cross the first arch.

Ryoko's fall stopped when Azura caught her in her claws barely above a spell cast by the king's bi— ahem, aide.

"Oh, gods…." Daraen whispered, falling to the ground.

"NOOOOOO!" Lissa screamed in despair.

"DAMN YOU, GANGREL!" Chrom shouted.

Gangrel laughed, "Well now! …How disgustingly noble. And so lovely a fall!" he taunted mercilessly, "Here I thought death to be an ugly thing. I've never seen one fall so gracefully, in fact. …And I've seen many fall. Ah… So ends Emmeryn, Ylisse's most exalted! But how can we ensure everyone remembers this beautiful moment of her sacrifice? Perhaps we should gather up her body and put it on display!"

"Gangrel!" Chrom roared, "You die today!"

Levi could only stare brokenly as his love was carried away by her Wyvern, struggling to free herself and do something.

Basilio and Flavia stopped the prince from rushing into danger, holding the man back with all their strength.

"No, boy!" Basilio shouted, "I secured and escape route! We have to flee!"

"We can't just leave her there!" Chrom protested. "And… her body… I have to…."

"You have to run! NOW!" Basilio interrupted. "Daraen, don't let him do anything stupid!"

But the man was still in shock, unable to do anything but blankly stare at the spot the Exalt had been standing moments before.

"I have to go." Levi declared. "There's no way she can make it back on her own."

"It's crazy!" Daraen finally said. "She… you'll both die!"

Levi shook his head. "She's alone and her death could spell the end of the world. I _have_ to go."

Basilio stated blankly, then shook his head. "Your funeral, brat."

"Tharja," Levi said, "make sure Daraen doesn't do anything stupid while we're not looking, alright? And Sumia, do the same for Chrom. Crodelia, I'm sorry, but I must ask you to watch over the other Pegasus Knights for now. Can you do this for me?"

The three women in question nodded minutely and left, just as it began raining.

"Also…" he told the group, "No matter what they say… do not let them kill anyone while they're in this state."

"Why would I do that?" Tharja questioned irritably.

"Because they are both Dragon-Bloods." Levi replied grimly, "And despair only makes it easier for someone to Fall to their instincts and become a mindless beast of hatred and destruction."

.

Before she knew it, Ryoko had already reacted.

She jumped after Emmeryn, shifting the wind currents to suit her needs and avoid the arrows being shot at her.

Azura screeched.

 _'Come on.'_ She thought, _'Just a little more….'_

She had almost reached the Exalt, using the wind to slow her fall a little.

She reached out.

She could almost touch her.

And, suddenly, she stopped falling.

Azura's claws were securely wrapped around her middle.

The air in front of her exploded in a massive ball of flames.

"No, no, _no!_ " she screamed struggling against the Wyvern's grip "Let me go!"

Azura quickly regained altitude and flew off.

"Azura, no!" she tried to free herself, "Levi's down there! Let me go!"

" _AZURAAAAAAA!_ "

Ryoko could only watch as Levi became a tiny speck in the golden sand.

She kept struggling, angrily lashing out at her partner.

But it was no use.

"Damn it!"

She slackened in the Wyvern's grip, resigning herself to being carried away from her friends, her family, her _love_.

She sobbed quietly.

Again, she had lost everything in a single day.

Again, she had been helpless and unable to do anything but watch.

"Damn it all."

It was as if the world itself was conspiring to break her.

A Flux spell shot past her eyes.

She looked in the direction it had come from to see Aversa pursuing her on her Pegasus.

"Can't I get a fucking break?" she muttered.

As if on cue, a bunch of Risen appeared.

"It was _rhetorical_ , damn it!" she screeched.

She tried to take out a few with her magic, but she could not muster the accuracy to do significant damage due to her awkward position.

That, and something was digging painfully on her back.

Damn it, there was a reason she didn't keep her scabbards…

Her eyes widened briefly.

One of the scabbards had ended up on her back when Azura caught her.

Twisting, Ryoko tried to catch the blade's handle, hoping it was Drexion.

The blade came out a little, but there was no way she would be able to unsheathe it fully without dropping it. And then she would _really_ die.

A flash of light caught her attention for a moment, and she looked down.

Her eyes widened.

Her mother's Dragon Knot!

The string was really long, too. It was perfect.

Carefully, she took it off.

Azura dove without warning before leveling.

She yelped as the Knot fell… and stopped.

With a sigh of relief, she wrapped the string on her wrist a few times and did the same with the blade's grip.

Then she ducked her head and _pulled_.

Azura chose that moment to abruptly change directions and, for a terrible second, she thought the sword would fall to the ground.

But it didn't.

The string had tightened itself when she pulled, and thus it did not slip off the blade's handle.

And, what luck, the blade had been Drexion!

Smirking to herself, Ryoko pulled up the blade and focused.

The sword became a staff.

She used the much longer handle immediately to roughly hit Azura in the ribs.

This caused the Wyvern to let her go reflexively.

Which was exactly what she wanted.

She twisted in the air to aim at a large group of enemies.

" **Descend, holy lightning!** " she chanted, " **Strike down these fools and cleanse the land of darkness! Light Storm!** "

As soon as the spell was cast, she barely avoided Azura's grip and instead climbed on her back.

The Wyvern screeched in protest, but Ryoko ignored it.

"So many against one?" she called to Aversa, "Already fighting dirty, eh?"

" **Oh Knights of Dragons,** " she whispered, " **protectors of Azurie and Linhuski, the Flightless who guard the Lost Clans, I call upon your aid as Summoner of the Ravenfall. Grant me the strength to defend my comrades and fight by my side.** "

Aversa scoffed, "What, can't handle real life?"

"Afraid you'll lose?" Ryoko taunted back.

 _'Please, answer my call. Give me just one chance.'_

"Merely ensuring my Master's success." Aversa replied tersely.

Ryoko smirked, "Oooh, your Master! Are you— **Dragon Knights, Summon!** —into S &M relationships? I mean, with that skimpy outfit of yours—"

"How _DARE you_!" Aversa screamed, too angered by the comment to notice the gathering magic.

 _"Very well, Summoner. We will lend you our strength for this battle."_

And, with a flash, an entire army appeared.

Men and woman of all builds and ages, all wearing armor reminiscent of some kind of dragon from all across the Multiverse.

"Wh-What is this?" the angered woman demanded.

"Just evening the odds." Ryoko replied easily.

She reached towards the link with her Summons and sent, _'I'll take care of the bitch, you guys need to take the Risen Horde out before they reach a village!'_

Without waiting for a reply, Ryoko directed Azura to turn around just in time for her to catch an unfamiliar dark spell and throw it back at the caster.

 _"Understood."_

"Azura!" she shouted, standing on the Wyvern's back while still gripping the reins for balance.

She carefully cycled her magic, running through all of Levi's rants in spell cost-efficiency as she considered the drain summoning her entire Horde had on her reserves.

It was maybe about the same as the Seal, which meant that over half her magic was powering the Summoning, while a little more still kept in check the basics functions of the Seal to prevent Transfer from occurring.

So she was fighting with a seventy percent handicap on her magic, which bumped up to about eighty with the recent battle and her safety net for long-distance emergency Flashing.

If that wasn't enough, she was fighting against a fellow spellcaster and flier, even if she was a bitch, and a rather talented one to boot. She had no tomes and her Horde was outnumbered, so she also had to watch out for attacks from below.

And there was the fact that the woman was Shadowgifted, powerful, had large reserves for a human and the Risen were independent once summoned.

And Aversa knew this, "Give up! Even with your pathetic Summons, your chances of surviving the day are next to none."

"Next to none, uh?" Ryoko commented to herself.

The white-haired woman was unfortunately right. She was alone, tired, wounded, even if only slightly, and had most of her magic unavailable. Her opponent, instead, had almost full reserves and had not fought at all.

Most importantly, with her magic so low, she could not risk using any kind of Dragon magic.

She laughed. "It sounds like a challenge! I'll take those odds!"

Aversa and Ryoko stared at each other, waiting for their opponent to make a move.

" **Forblaze!** "

A whirlwind of flames was hurled towards Ryoko and Azura.

Ryoko simply raised her staff. "Svalinn."

An ice-cold bright blue barrier formed before the pair, shielding them from the spell that had been created to kill Dragonkin.

She smirked. Yup. She _still_ had it.

Enchanting that old brooch on her belt to generate an ice shield of this caliber had been a pain, and it had been even harder to find a suitable trigger for it, but it was worth every single second she had spent on it.

Svalinn, the shield said to prevent the world from burning.

While it was just an imitation of its power, it was the perfect defense against fire magic, specifically Forblaze.

" **Lightning Aura.** " She whispered as Aversa's spell ended.

A tower of light-infused rings appeared around the Dark Flier, glowing golden before crashing down upon her just as lightning struck.

So what if she couldn't learn the regular Aura to deal more damage because she lacked the fine control? She could keep her Element in check just fine and this way it was even more powerful.

Aversa screamed as the spell combination did massive damage.

Ryoko took that chance to press her assault.

" **Thunder! Elthunder! Arcthunder!** " she cast in quick succession.

The first two hit their target, while the third was blocked by a barrier of shadows.

" **Naglfar!** "

Just as the barrier dispersed, the woman was hit by a storm of powerful black lightning.

Azura shot forward while Aversa was paralyzed by the attack.

Ryoko jumped and attempted to skewer her with the sharp end of her staff.

Aversa blocked just in time.

She got a stinging spell to the face for it.

Ryoko quickly disengaged and jumped back on Azura, blindly casting a bunch of minor spells behind her.

"Disappear!" the white-haired woman screamed angrily.

Ryoko flattened on Azura's back to avoid being hit by a barrage of minor dark spells.

" **By the fury of the storm, I command you.** " She muttered, " **Destroy all that stands in my path.** "

Turning to point her staff at Aversa, she cast, " **Thoron!** "

The spell was narrowly avoided, and Ryoko turned her attention to crafting a few runes.

Azura skillfully avoided the worst of the spells being cast by the Dark Flier, staying clearly ahead but still in her range.

"Stop running!" the enraged woman demanded.

That was their cue.

Azura flew up and reversed her flight direction, turning upside down as they passed Aversa.

Ryoko was already aiming at her with the staff, "Activate!"

The runes she had drawn earlier shot towards Aversa.

Azura quickly climbed again, this time readying for a dive.

" **Descend, unholy darkness, and bring forth the land of demons!** " Aversa cast.

A cloak of darkness surrounded Ryoko and Azura.

" **May the souls of my enemies be thorn apart!** "

"Get us out of here!" Ryoko shouted.

" **I call on the winds of the underworld! Open the gates of hell!** "

" **Magic of the world, defend me against this assault! Barrier!** "

" **BALBERITH!** "

The space around Ryoko and Azura distorted as a rift to the underworld was opened. A faint light shimmered around the pair moments before they were assaulted by demonic winds.

Thanks to the barrier, the demonic aspect was all but erased, leaving only dark energies.

However, Barrier and its staff counterpart Ward were not designed for use in flight, and Ryoko had to hang on for dear life as the wind tried to crush them but instead created a massive localized tornado.

Azura screeched and kept her wings as close to her body as she could.

Ryoko screamed as a particularly violent blast of wind threw her off the saddle.

The wind dispersed, and Azura quickly leveled her flight with a frightened screech.

Aversa laughed mockingly.

She knew there was no way any flier could survive that spell. The Wyvern only survived because it was sturdier than most Pegasi and Griffins.

The woman looked down at the stunned Wyvern and decided to put it out of its misery.

Only, Azura recovered in time and swiftly avoided the spells sent at her.

Then she quickly climbed and positioned herself above and behind the Dark Flier before she could react.

"SURPRISE, MOTHERFUCKER!" Ryoko shouted from Azura's back.

She was surrounded by five massive magic circles, staff aiming at Aversa.

" **Fimbulvetr!** " she cast.

A massive whirlwind made from the coldest winds imaginable surrounded Aversa, quickly converging upon her before dissipating.

The Dark Flier was not in a good condition now.

She was heavily wounded by the last attack, though most were superficial cuts rather than life threatening, and her Pegasus was clearly bleeding and missing a few feathers in the wings.

A few arrows buzzed past her, barely missing.

She looked down only to realize that most of the Risen were gone.

"That's it!" Aversa shouted angrily as she pulled out a new tome, "I will obliterate you! **Ereshkigal!** "

Dark magic emanated from the tome, slowly gathering as the world surrounding them became darker even though there were no clouds.

"Azura!" Ryoko called.

The Wyvern screeched in acknowledgment and quickly dived to put herself between Aversa and the ground, hovering steadily as black energies gathered.

Ryoko brought a hand to Drexion's sheath, which she had crafted to hold a matrix of seven jewels for a particular purpose.

She raised her staff, "Rho Aias!"

From the tip of Drexion's staff form, a small ball of pink light formed.

The seven gems on the sheath glowed brightly, and the spell matrix activated.

From the tiny ball of light, seven tendrils of energy stretched out, forming petals that started rapidly spinning.

Aversa's tome turned to dust as dark lightning flashed in the sky.

The darkness condensed into a large sphere, which then formed a large spear and shot towards the ground, colliding with the projected Rho Aias.

Azura stumbled in the air, struggling to keep her altitude.

Ryoko remained focused on keeping the shield steady.

One petal fell.

One gem stopped glowing.

The fist protection fell.

She took a deep breath.

She had to resist.

Shadow energies spun around the Ereshkigal spell as it slowly lost momentum and energy.

The second petal fell.

Ryoko kept focused.

They were always the quickest to fall as the magic was at its strongest there.

All the layers were equally strong.

She knew there was no tome magic that could punch through all seven layers if they were kept up through the whole spell.

The third petal fell.

Tome magic was too fixed, too rigid to punch through all seven layers.

To break them all power was not enough.

Fourth.

The spell kept going.

Azura had lost some altitude, but not much.

She still fought against the spell's weight.

Only four petals left, now.

She needed to find a quick counter and take down the woman quickly.

Three.

She knew the only reason Ereshkigal had not exploded yet was that she was its target.

Two….

The spell finally lost most of its momentum.

It concentrated into a small ball again, ready to burst.

Aversa was perfectly aligned with her and the spell.

She gathered her magic, " **Shine, great lights! Call down thunder to illuminate the night** "

She molded the spell into the shape of an arrow, " **Light Spark!** "

The spell phased through Rho Aias, piercing the ball of darkness and dispersing it before sailing right at Aversa.

She huffed.

There was a reason why natural magic was superior to tome magic despite the high costs and the control required.

The magic was flexible and required no true focus to cast.

Sure, certain spells were more powerful with a specifically enchanted item, but one could cast through a random twig if they wanted.

"RYOKO!"

The green-eyed Dragon perked up at the sound of Levi's voice.

She activated her Sky-Eyes to look for him.

Oh, he wasn't too far from her. Just on the outskirts of the battlefield.

Ryoko patted Azura's side encouragingly.

"Just a little longer, girl." She whispered, "Let's go get him!"

Azura screeched and dived towards her love, barely giving her time to send a minor paralyzing hex at Aversa to keep her from following.

Ryoko took a deep breath. Focus.

She brought her grip of Drexion up to just below the blade, securely gripping Azura's saddle as they closed in on him.

" _Levi_!" she called back at him, extending Drexion's handle below the Wyvern.

Levi easily caught it as they passed, smoothly climbing behind her just as Azura regained what altitude she could and turned back towards Aversa.

"Spellfire up front! Knock her down!" Ryoko commanded, already aiming with her staff.

" _ **Naglfar.**_ " " **Wind!** "

The first spell paralyzed Aversa, making the second spell hit her in the chest.

The Mad King's aide fell from her Pegasus.

" _ **Rexcalibur!**_ " the Pegasus fell with a broken wing and a broken leg.

" **Lightning!** "

Aversa was stunned again, giving Ryoko the time to draw a small circle. " **Siphon!** "

With Aversa taken care of, Ryoko slumped against Levi, exhausted.

She had used all of her magic, and the only reason she hadn't passed out was because she still had a small tickle of her reserves available, barely enough to Flash to her secret hideout.

"Nice to see you, too." Levi commented sarcastically.

"Shut up." She snapped tiredly, "I almost died there."

"Well, it's not over yet!" Aversa screamed angrily. "I'll kill you _both_!"

She was holding a small wooden box that reeked of death and decay and looked very smug as she opened it, releasing some sort of purple smoke.

More Risen appeared, surrounding the two Dragons.

Levi was quick to shoot her down with a powerful sleep spell just in case the woman had more of those things.

Ryoko turned Drexion back to its sword form and drew her second blade.

Levi's eyes widened at the feeling coming from it.

"Awaken, Laevateinn!" Ryoko shouted.

The blade was engulfed by blue flames just as Drexion sparked with lightning.

Seeing no reason to stay still and do nothing, Levi drew an ice blue rapier with a black metal guard. "Lexida."

An icy wind wrapped around the blade.

The two Dragons took their stances, standing back-to-back even as the Risen closed in.

Ryoko swung Laevateinn, releasing a torrent of flames that took the form of a small Dragon and started attacking the Risen, turning them to ashes.

Levi created a bunch of tiny icicles above himself and shot them at the closest beast.

And, in an unspoken signal, they both charged at the Risen.

.

Ryoko sighed tiredly as she led Azura towards the Plegian castle. "That was intense."

Levi laughed, "You can say that again!"

"I'd rather just find shelter for the night." Ryoko replied wearily, "How far behind are we by now?"

"Three days at least." Was the reply, "By the time we get to where they are now, they'll be out of the sands."

She sighed again, "If only I had been stronger this time…."

"Stop sulking." Levi demanded firmly, "It's not your fault. If anything, you saved a few of the girls."

"But—" she protested.

 _"You've delayed enemy pursuit for a significant time."_ Their escort, a spearman named Ascalon, pointed out, _"Is that not enough?"_

The man wore light armor, completely white with a few small red designs here and there.

Only he and three others had chosen to stay behind once the battle was done.

As the lone man and the most experienced of the four Summons, he had chosen to take point.

Ryoko and Levi walked behind Ascalon, the former leading a very exhausted Azura and the latter on Kana.

Besides Ryoko was Freikugel, an energetic mage with long pink hair tied in a high ponytail who wore a rather slutty sheriff outfit that barely covered what it was supposed to. She was a rather unusual type of spellcaster that preferred to focus her spells into 'bullets' and shoot them from firearms, in her case the pair of handguns she kept at her hips.

Besides Levi walked the fiery Pinaka, her massive golden bow loosely held in her left hand, ready to shoot at a moment's notice and blow the unfortunate attacker into tiny bits.

She wore a simple archer's uniform, although its skirt was a bit too short and her boots reached well past her knees. Her hair was red at the top and faded to a cornflower blue below her eye level.

Bringing up the rear was Ryoko's old playmate Durandal, a girl with purple hair kept in twin tails and wore a Japanese schoolgirl uniform, a massive blade on her back.

"You are an ocean of waves… " Ryoko sung as they marched.

.

Marut of the Parekh family felt sick.

He was a renowned soldier of Plegia, proud of his country. Like his King, he had felt that the previous Exalt's actions had not been punished enough.

But this….

This was too much.

Emmeryn had been a kind ruler, that much he knew. To desecrate her body in such a manner, though… it was hard to feel pride for his country when his King acted like this.

If anything, Marut felt ashamed.

The woman had done no crimes, but that of being Alcander's offspring.

And his King had massacred the Pegasus Knights, led the woman to suicide and now put her body on display for the scavengers to eat.

Alive.

Because the clearly unhinged Wyvern Rider with the orange scarf had slowed her down enough for the fall not to be fatal, the woman was probably in a coma and in dire need of a healer.

No. This was too much even for him.

The King not only let the bandits and the Forsaken priest run around freely, but he threatened families, killed allies and let his cultist aide and her… _abominations_ … run through the country like it was perfectly normal.

No.

He decided he would heed the Exalt's words. He would get the woman to a healer and flee his country.

It's not like the Mad King was even here to kill him for it anyways.

Sighing, Marut noticed the small group approaching him, the most prominent of which was a child with an orange scarf leading a Wyvern.

Wait, no. The Rider wasn't a child. Just a short adult.

"Stand down, Plegian!" The horseman demanded, "Let us pass and we'll let you keep your life!"

Marut's eyes widened, "Please, sirs, hear me out! The Exalt needs a healer! She survived the fall!"

The Rider and the horseman seemed to have a heated argument about it, though he could not make out any words in any language he knew.

It took them two minutes to come to a decision.

"Take us to her." The Rider demanded gruffly.

Marut nodded quickly and led them to the courtyard where the bodies of the Pegasus Knights were still laying.

He grimaced and gestured to the chained body of the Exalt on the other side, visible to all who came.

"Deplorable." He muttered angrily. "Plegia has only come to ruin since the War."

The Rider quickly climbed up to the rock, freed Emmeryn and came down, laying her on top of the Wyvern.

"Where's the armory?" the horseman asked, "Ryoko can use a staff to keep her stable for travel."

"It's over there." He gestured to a barrack, "There's a few soldiers over there, but none of us wants anything to do with this war anymore. Not after this."

"So long as we're not attacked." The man replied easily.

"We were actually packing up to take the next ship for Valm." Marut explained, "Maybe Rosanne."

"Don't." The Rider— Ryoko —stated, "The civil war has gotten worse. Go to Novis until it calms down."

"Oh." Marut said, "Damn." He opened the door to the armory, "Guys! Change of plans! We're leaving now! Find a staff, the stronger the better!"

"On it!" a redheaded man with a bandana shouted back before disappearing between the crates.

Within moments, he returned with a bunch of staves and dropped them at the group's feet before returning to the crates.

Ryoko examined the staves skeptically, as if trying to find something.

She picked up one that was notoriously powerful but rarely worked.

"Who's the moron that made this one?" she muttered, "Honestly, a _Dragonstone_ as a focus…."

"Well, you lucked out on that one." The other man commented.

The Wyvern screeched.

"Oh, _FUCK_!"

* * *

 **What happened? Well, you'll find out next time.**

 **Alright, notes! Firstly, if anyone is wondering, yes, Levi mercy killed the dieing Pegasi and Knights with his prayer in the first scene. Not that he realizes it. Second, Ryoko is still flying because she was too slow in landing and decided that it was best to stay out of range in the air.**

 **As for Emmeryn's thoughts reaching Levi... well, the scene just didn't feel complete without it.**

 **Ryoko saving Emmeryn was an idea I toyed with while rewriting this. In the end, I decided that it would break the story too much for my taste, as Azura would find the risk to her rider to be unacceptable and thus wouldn't allow Ryoko to fall too close to the ground no matter what. It worked out better like that, and it provides future conflict for character developement, so I went with that.**

 **As for the Celtic- sorry, Dragon Knot, don't tell me you forgot about it? It's in the Prologue.**

 **Now, the battle. All spells apart from Light Spark, Light Storm and Siphon are FE tomes and a staff (Barrier). I looked them up in the wiki. The Siphon spell is based on the Epic Battle Fantasy games- which I don't own -and prevents the target from using any kind of magic for a time. The incantations are all mine, though.**

 **Forblaze is strong against Dragons, and considering Ryoko's experience with Grimeal, I thought she would have some way of countering it. So, while browsing Wikipedia I found the list of legendary objects, which included Svalinn. Rho Aias was based on Archer's shield from a few FSN fanfics I read. I researched it and decided it _would_ be something Ryoko would make as soon as she had a scabbard for Drexion. Laevateinn, instead, is what became of the sword Ryoko bought in chapter 6, while Lexida (from Brave Frontier) is Levi imitating her. Freikugel, Pinaka and Durandal are OCs based off characters from Phantom of the Kill, which, again, I don't own. Ascalon is mine, though.**

 **Finally, Maruth is an OC of mine, mostly because I needed someone to showcase the citizens' reaction to Gangrel executing Emmeryn. I settled on a soldier about Emm and Ryoko's age, proud of his country no matter its flaws. And since there was no stated name for Emmeryn, Chrom and Lissa's father I made up my own, Alcander. By the way, Novis is the island where the Mountain Village is in the game.**

 **I think that's all. Bye!**


	24. Shadowed Hopes

**Hello again, dear readers!**

 **First of all, thanks to Killerjakee for following and favoriting (is that even a word?) this story. And of course, everyone else for who reads this as well. You're all awesome.**

 **Secondly, if you haven't seen it yet, I've posted a new story. If any of you is interested in moments of silliness and fluff, plus original characer supports, that's where they'll be posted, but not before the timeline is caught up and there's no spoilers for the main story.**

 **Thirly, as you probably know, next month is NaNoWriMo. I intend to participate, but this story will still be my priority, so don't worry about no updates in November.**

 **Finally, I do not own the new character that appears in this chapter, either. You'll know who she is.**

 **With that out of the way, the only thing left to say is: Enjoy!**

* * *

 _ **Fire Emblem: Dragon's Claw**_

 **~ Chapter 22 ~**

 **Shadowed Hopes**

Ryoko and Levi rushed out, running towards Azura.

"Something's wrong!"

"Tell me something I don't know!"

"Is she?"

"It's despair."

"Like Chrom and Daraen…. She risks Falling?!"

"Keep an eye on her magic. I'm starting."

"Right!"

"So 'Ren and Chrom?"

"I told the others not to let them kill."

"This is why I _hate_ the Dragon Gene…."

"Okay. Ready? **Mend!** "

"What's happening now?!"

.

The Ylissean-Feroxi Army marched towards the border.

Nowi skipped ahead every now and then, then distracted herself by talking with someone or playing games with her Wing-Sisters.

Sometimes, when she felt that nothing she did could raise morale by even a tiny bit, she scouted ahead with Mather.

Truth was, Nowi was worried.

They were fleeing north, while Azura had carried their Wing-Leader off in the opposite direction, followed by Aversa.

Not only that, but the second leader had gone after her with only his horse and sword.

Ryoko and Levi were Dragons, yes, but that did not mean they could not die of starvation or thirst. It just took slightly longer.

And with how little supplies the pair had on them, she worried that they would not manage to make the trek before they reached their destination in two days.

And starvation was only the smallest threat to them.

She was worried that Ryoko was heavily injured, or, worse held captive and tortured. She worried that Levi was suffering the same fate or dead.

Outwardly, she didn't let the worry show on her face or actions.

She acted as cheerfully as she could as she marched alongside the army, only to break down with her Wing-Sisters in their communal tent.

The Knights they had managed to save were there as well, but they had yet to snap out of their grief, and the Dragonwings could not afford to do therapy sessions with them.

Mostly because they were running from the Mad King, but also because of a far bigger and more immediate problem.

It was mostly kept to the most loyal Shepherds, the Dragonwings and Tarja, but the two leaders of the army were in a very dangerous spot.

Nowi guessed that Ryoko hadn't realized until recently, but the Dragon Gene was particularly strong in Daraen and Chrom. Their unusual hair colors were proof of that.

Being around two Dragons and, recently, a Manakete had activated it and started the process of making them Kin.

Virion had it too, though his was either blocked or very weak. Either way, he could not Fall.

Daraen and Chrom, however, _could_. Their Dragon Gene was unusually strong, almost on par with human Fell-children.

Which was usually good, because if the Gene went active they would get Dragonskin, an Element, a massive boost to their abilities and possibly some other skills.

But the active Gene made them Kin, and Kin— besides Lesser Dragons like Drakes and Wyvrns —could fall to their base instinct and go on a mindless rampage, destroying everything.

There were two ways to prevent it, and neither was available.

Either they became Manakete by sealing their power in a Dragonstone, or used some kind of focusing gem to regulate their power, blocking it.

Brushing away those thoughts, Nowi continued cheerfully skipping to the front, catching up with Frederick and greeting him with a big smile.

"Uh?"

She stopped.

 _'What is that?'_

She turned towards the strange pulse of power echoing across the open desert. It was a subtle thing, one specifically attuned to Kin.

It was a signal that a new Kin was born, through whatever means.

Either through birth, adoption, some ritual or whatever, there was one more individual in the world who had an active and stable Dragon Gene.

Strong enough passive carriers could make the pulse as well, but it was much weaker and didn't carry further than twelve paces.

The thing was, there were almost no Dragonkin in Plegia due to the Grimeal hunting them down.

Adding that with the low birthrates, and it was certainly someone with a newly active Gene.

"What is it, Miss Nowi?" Frederick asked.

"Another one?" she murmured, "But how?"

"Another one, Miss Nowi?" the Great Knight questioned.

She shook her head, giving the man a cheerful (fake) smile, "Oh, it's nothing! I thought I saw a flaming bird!"

Before he could reply, she skipped ahead.

"Oh, Lady Nowi!" Virion shouted enthusiastically, "How nice to see such a beautiful flower grace me with her presence!" he wrapped an arm around her, "Say, would you do me the honor of a night out?"

Nowi frowned. She _knew_ he was bonded with someone else. Why was he—

"I take it you felt it as well?" he whispered in her ear.

Her eyes widened.

"Sounds fun!" Nowi chirped, nodding, "We can make a campfire and tell stories and all that!"

"Yes." She hissed, "Someone's Gene went active."

Virion visibly deflated, but straightened after a moment.

"I gathered that much." He then raised his voice, "Yes! An amazing idea! We should invite more of your friends as well!"

"Could it be…" he added quietly.

"Yes!" Nowi shouted, "I'll bring all the Wing-Sisters! And maybe Libra and Kyn, too!"

"That sounds good, yes." Virion agreed.

Winking, Nowi turned around, "It's a date, then!"

Giggling at Virion's over the top reaction, Nowi went to the back to tell Cordy and Sumia.

.

She woke up.

Everything hurt. What happened?

Where was she?

Who was she?

She couldn't remember.

She felt strange.

"Fa— Ow! Why'd you hit me, you prat!"

She opened her eyes.

Two Kin were kneeling over her, looking worried. One was small with green eyes and blue hair, the other big with scary eyes and pretty purple hair.

"Fae?" she murmured, "Is that this one's name?"

The smaller Kin frowned. "Don't you remember?"

"Remember?" she echoed, shaking her head, "No. Fae doesn't remember anything."

"Perhaps it's for the best." The scary Kin muttered.

The small Kin nodded, helping her up. "Maybe."

Then she turned to her, "My name is Ryoko. He's Levi." She smiled, lowering her voice in a stage whisper, "Don't worry, he only looks scary. He's actually a big softy."

"Hey!" the scary Kin protested halfheartedly. "I am plenty scary!"

Ryoko waved him off, "Right, right."

He pouted, and suddenly he wasn't so scary anymore.

Ryoko pulled her up, turning to Levi.

"We should get going before Aversa returns." The blue-haired Kin said.

Levi nodded, "Her, or, worse, the Mad King."

Fae tilted her head in confusion, "Are bad people after you?"

"Yes." Ryoko replied bluntly.

"Ryoko!" Levi scolded.

"What?!" the woman replied hotly, "We can't leave her, and who knows what will happen if Walhart gets his hands on her. We're at _war_ , Levi. _War._ She's not an idiot, she would have found out on her own pretty soon."

The man sighed. "Fine."

Ryoko handed her a staff. "That's a very special staff. Always keep it on you. If you're ever in trouble, focus on the gem."

Fae nodded confusedly, not understanding why but accepting it anyways.

"Come on, up you go." Ryoko said, lifting her up and easily placing her on the Wyvern's back before jumping on behind her. "You up to flying, girl?"

The Wyvern roared eagerly.

"I guess that's a yes, then!"

"We'll fly from now on." Levi told the soldiers, "I leave Kana to you."

The important looking one bowed, "Thanks."

"Well, let's catch up to the others, Azura!"

Azura couched, read to jump into the skies.

"Wait!" the soldier called.

The Wyvern growled in annoyance, but stayed on the ground nonetheless.

All the soldiers bowed, "We thank you for your sacrifice, Seal Holder. May you have fair winds on your journey."

Ryoko nodded, "You as well."

Fae let out a delighted squeal when the wind hit her face and she was in the sky where she belonged.

The blue-haired woman took her hands and handed her the reigns. "Hold on tight, okay?"

Fae nodded seriously.

Ryoko jumped, easily landing on the back of Levi's Dragon Form.

.

It was two days later when they caught up with the others.

Sand had given way to rock since a few hours ago, and they were quickly approaching a heavily fortified Plegian outpost, according to Levi.

Fae hadn't understood much about that except that it was a _bad thing_.

She had quickly tired of riding, though she knew she had to or they would be left behind when everyone needed the Dragons to take command.

Ryoko herself wasn't too happy with the arrangement, since it meant that she had to dismiss her Summons and spend much of her time sleeping to recover both her reserves and her strength.

Still, nobody protested the rather brutal pace they had set. Not even Levi, who was never able to rest properly.

When they took a break, Ryoko taught Fae stuff.

Fae learned that she was Manakete, but she was not before being Fae. It confused her, and she didn't want to press on the topic because Ryoko would start to get sad and it took Levi hours to convince her that she had done all she could.

She also saw herself when they stopped near an oasis.

Fae was pretty small, about half Ryoko's height, with chin-length purple hair and acid green eyes. She also had a strange mark on her forehead, which was now hidden by a really cool headband Levi gave her.

She wore a tattered orange dress with a puffy lavender shirt underneath and a simple pair of boots— the first things they could find that fit her.

She also had a bag slung over her shoulder with some water and food and a strange cloak that Ryoko lent her that was dark on one side and colorful on the other.

She saw a pretty green Dragon in the distance.

"Who's that?" Fae asked curiously, pointing.

"That's Nowi." Ryoko replied, "She must be keeping an eye on the rear…."

" _ **We're almost there, then!**_ " Levi cried out, clearly relieved, " _ **I can finally get some decent rest!**_ "

Azura roared loudly in greeting.

The other Dragon roared back and flew calmly towards them.

" **Hey there!** " Nowi said cheerfully, " **You're alright! You made it back!** "

" _ **Yeah, yeah. Ryoko's too stubborn to get lost.**_ " Levi replied, " _ **Can I ride on you? I've been flying nonstop because the moron over there exhausted herself. Again.**_ "

" **Sure.** " She agreed.

Levi glided over Nowi and returned to human form, easily landing on the Manakete's back.

"Did you keep up the training?" Ryoko asked.

" **Yup!** " Nowi replied, " **We tried to include the others, too, but they're a bit too depressed.** "

"The others?" Ryoko parroted.

" _ **Thanks to you, me and the healers managed to get a few of the girls out of there.**_ " Levi explained.

Though Fae couldn't see it, she knew that Ryoko was smiling a little.

That made Fae happy, because even if Fae didn't understand everything they told her, she understood that Ryoko and Levi would take care of her.

She looked down as they flew towards the front of the column of soldiers.

She looked down, and she _knew_.

This was what war led to, Ryoko told her when she had seen a glimpse of the terrible massacre, nothing but anger, sadness, death and regret.

Fae hadn't understood those words until now.

She looked down and saw the army, marching solemnly, tired, led by a broken man who just lost his sister and a broken tactician who felt it was all his fault. She saw the Khans and a lieutenant who had seen too much bloodshed struggle to keep everyone together. She saw the Dragonwings divided, one group scouting to keep everyone safe and the other protecting their sisters. She saw the injured, and the very exhausted medics, mages, priests and clerics struggling to bring them all back on their feet.

She saw all the hurt that the anger of a madman had caused, caught as he was in his delusions.

But she also saw them keep moving forward despite all this, their hope dimmed but not extinguished, their resolve not crushed but merely wavering.

She saw the smiles and heard the cheers when Azura and Ryoko cried out in unison as a signal of their return.

She didn't realize it then, but she had witnessed the first signs of a Dragon's presence in a group.

Dragons were beings of immense power, basically forces of nature given form. Having even one of them nearby was extremely rare, and could give any warrior an impossible goal to strive for.

However, this situation was very different.

Two of their leaders were Dragon-Blooded, a soldier was technically one, a good chunk of their forces was Feroxi while the rest had a damn good reason to fight. Coupled with the fact that they had two Dragons actively supporting and fighting with them… their potential for growth was astounding.

Fae didn't realize any of that, but instead came to a decision.

All these people were fighting. They were all fighting to protect something.

Maybe it was their allies, their homes, their family or their country, they all fought in order to protect something.

Deep withing her heart, Fae found that she wanted to protect them all.

She knew she wasn't strong, she didn't know how to fight and couldn't remember any magic.

So Fae decided that she would learn all she could and keep the people close to her safe. And when she became strong enough, she would protect everyone she could.

Her staff's gem flickered to a golden color briefly, but she thought it was just the desert sun.

.

Ryoko sighed, her eyebrow twitching slightly.

"You mean to say," she hissed dangerously, "that you spent five days without a clear leader, and _this_ is what happens?"

 _This_ referred to a large pile of After Action Reports sitting on the meeting tent's improvised desk.

More than one of the commanders flinched.

She sighed again. "Annoying."

Her eyes scanned the crowd. "You."

The man she was staring at jumped with a yelp. "Y-Y-Y-Yes?"

If she wasn't mistaken he was in command of the few cavalry troops under Frederick, who was often busy with his other duties.

"I want a report on anything I missed these days by tomorrow." She ordered, "Casualties, injuries, engagements with the enemy… everything of importance. Make it as short and dry as possible."

The man saluted, "Yes, sir!"

He then took as many of those papers as he could carry and left.

"Feel free to enlist some help!" she called after him.

With another sigh, Ryoko turned back to the gathered men, plus Flavia and Cordelia.

She clapped once, her hands sparking lightly at the action.

"Now… who has highest rank?" she asked.

Half the room turned to Flavia, the other half to Frederick.

She sighed again.

"I can see the problem now…." She muttered.

Flavia was the Khan, so she was considered the leader by the Feroxi, while Frederick was Chrom's lieutenant, and the one Ylisseans would most readily defer to.

"I'm going to regret this, I just know it." She muttered again.

Because her idea, while sound, would just _swamp_ her in paperwork.

She took a deep breath to steel herself and addressed the room. "Since it appears you can't get to a decision, I'll have to take command."

The outcry was massive. Everyone started shouting among themselves.

Ryoko gave them a few seconds before charging her hands and clapping.

This time, it was a deafening sound, as if lightning had struck just beside them all.

And they shut up.

"Thank you, Ryoko." Flavia said, clearly relieved.

"Elaborate, please." Frederick asked.

Though he was polite, Ryoko could tell it was more of a demand.

"I _do_ have command over the Dragonwings." Ryoko pointed out, then grimaced as she remembered something else, "And Lady Phila gave me command over the Pegasus Knights if anything were to happen to her."

Frederick frowned, "She said to 'watch over them', if I recall."

Cordelia nodded, "For us fliers, 'watching over' a group means to have command until someone of proper rank can take over." She explained, "However, now that all the remaining Knights are either out of commission or Dragonwings under Ryoko, she is, effectively, the Commander of the Pegasus Knights until they can be properly reestablished."

"I see…." The Great Knight relented, a sour expression on his face.

"Well, no complaints from me." Flavia butted in, "The only reason the brat isn't a Khan is that she hates politics."

Ryoko rolled her eyes, "Whoever enjoys doing countless hours of annoying and pointless paperwork is an idiot.

"Back to the point, though. What's the next step?"

"We return to Ferox." Flavia stated. "We can't engage Gangel's army in this state."

"Okay." Ryoko said seriously, "And then _what_? Chrom's depressed. So is 'Ren. They aren't going to snap out of it anytime soon."

The Ylissean commanders muttered among themselves a little.

"There's also another problem." She continued. "Right now, the Flow of Battle is against us."

Flavia groaned loudly, "Damn it, Ryoko, that doesn't exactly inspire confidence!"

"Facts rarely do." The Dragon pointed out, "Thing is, we need an idea of what to do in case neither Chrom nor Daraen can take command once we're back in our borders. We'll need to stall Plegia until they can, at least."

"That's a valid concern." Frederick consented.

"There's also another problem." Ryoko added, "The Outpost."

Flavia groaned, "Fuck. I forgot about that."

"Well, shit." A Feroxi said.

"Pardon for asking," Frederick interrupted, "but… 'the Outpost'?"

"Just next to the Iron Fort." Ryoko supplied, "Ylisseans don't really know of it because that area has the Dragonfly Creek and half of the Lake of Despair." The Ylisseans shuddered, "It's heavily fortified and the base of the Wyvern Brigade, but they _usually_ let random travelers through. The commanding officer there is rather reasonable. Most of the time."

"Gangrel will probably have threatened his family, the bastard." A Feroxi muttered angrily. "Henry will just curse them all, but his wife and the kids wouldn't stand a chance."

Ryoko nodded, frowning.

How would she save the most lives possible?

Frederick groaned, "This isn't going anywhere. Let's just adjourn the meeting and get back on this tomorrow."

.

That night, Ryoko climbed to the tallest peak in sight and summoned Durandal and Ascalon.

 _"What's wrong?"_ her old playmate asked, _"It's not like you to be this sulky."_

Ryoko sighed. "What do I do tomorrow? Mustafa will be there, and he can't afford to let us through."

Durandal frowned, _"I…I don't know."_

 _"…"_ Ascalon was silent as he sat down beside her, still alert for ant threat.

 _"You said he's a reasonable man."_ He finally told her, _"Bargain with him. Find a way to let the noncombatants and injured through. To leave you be so long as you stay within the country."_

Ryoko sighed, "I guess it all depends on our mobility and numbers, in the end."

 _"Make it seem as if you're crippling yourself."_ Ascalon suggested, _"Let through as few fighters as possible, send away most of the healers. Hide your leaders. Then smuggle the rest through Mist River and slow down the Mad King."_

"Too bad I can't time travel." She muttered darkly.

Durandal giggled, _"You're so smart, Ascalon-niisan! Were you a noble before?"_

Ascalon sighed, _"Unlike you, Durandal, I have better uses for my time than playing around."_

"Time…" Ryoko murmured thoughtfully. "…playing around…."

 _"We're not playing, we're_ training _!"_

"Playing around… with time…."

 _"Get real and start acting your age for once, Durandal!"_

"Real…?" She repeated the word, unnoticed by the bickering Summons, "Realty. A timeline. Events shifted."

 _"At least I don't act like a grumpy old man!"_

"But how? What changed…? What's the target?"

"You."

Ryoko immediately stood up, unsheathing Drexion as she turned towards the voice. Ascalon and Durandal kept arguing, unaware of—

"Marth?!" she yelped in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

"Are your guards always like this?" the other woman asked instead of replying.

"Not my guards…." Ryoko replied darkly, "I was asking for advice."

"It's not an easy role which you have taken." Marth told her.

Ryoko sighed, "I know. I'm a warrior, not a leader. The Dragonwings are already bad enough."

"You'll do fine." Marth reassured her.

The blue-haired Dragon glared at her, though it wasn't really effective because of the height difference.

The glare turned into a smirk when an idea passed her mind.

"Hey, you look a lot like Chrom, don't you? 'Cause I have an idea…."

Marth shuddered.

.

"What's the plan then?" Levi questioned as they marched.

His partner hummed noncommittally, engrossed in one of the reports.

"We'll need to hurry." Basilio replied, "The carriages are waiting just past this ravine. Once there, we're safe."

Glancing at the two men lagging behind them he sighed.

"Of course, it'd be better if those two got up off their asses and did their damn jobs."

"Don't be so hard on them, Basilio." Levi chided lightly, "Daraen failed and blames himself, and Chrom just lost his sister."

"Well, you, Ryoko and Lissa seem to be doing well enough." The former Khan commented.

"I'm used to it." Ryoko replied, her voice quiet and slightly shaky, "Ignore the pain, push through it, there'll be time later. Survival is more important. Gotta keep 'em safe."

Levi gently took her free hand in his, glaring at the large man, "We have other priorities. And Lissa has Maribelle and the girls to talk to."

Thunder rumbled in the distance.

Ryoko snapped closed the book she had been using to hold up the reports. "Sumia, Verna, 'Lia, come with me."

The three girls followed her and Levi to the supply carts.

Ryoko knocked on the side of one of them, and a moment later Marth leaned out of it.

"Is it time?" she asked.

She had changed out of her usual clothes for an outfit that closely resembled Chrom's, her hair tied back to give the illusion that it was short.

"Yes." Ryoko replied, putting on her cloak and hexing it so that it looked similar to Daraen's coat before turning to the girls, "You all know that Flavia lends me a couple of her spies from time to time, right?"

The girls nodded.

"Wasn't it to train Gauis or something?" Levi questioned.

Ryoko hummed, "Something like that. I also used them to spread false rumors about us. Right now, the only known leaders are Chrom and the Khans. Everyone else has a vague description. Frederick made the suggestion when we were discussing contingency plans, but he lacked the excuse to do it."

"So the task was hoisted onto you." Cordelia guessed, "Which means we can exploit this now to get people past the checkpoint, am I right?"

"Right." The blue-haired Dragon confirmed, "They know our tactician is a mage with a Wyvern and silver hair, and that one of out strongest fighters is a small Wyvern Rider with an orange scarf who is in charge of the fliers. No clear numbers."

"Which means you could swap with Fae, who is about your height, while you ride Zeiss like that." The redheaded Knight concluded, gesturing at Ryoko's modified outfit before turning to their hitchhiker, "And since Marth looks a lot like the Hero-King, and in turn Chrom…."

"…We can sneak Daraen and the Captain past the border as two more injured." Sumia finished.

"Tarja will be with them." Marth told them, "As will Lissa and Maribelle as noncombatants. Sumia, Verna, one of you will have to go as well."

"Cordy will take a small team of capable fighters and head to the old fort." Ryoko continued, "You will have three to seven days to get there and make inventory of all the available supplies. I had a talk with the other girls, and they are willing to follow you on this. Can you do it?"

Cordelia nodded.

"What about who stays behind?" Verna asked.

"With me." Levi replied, "Nowi and Gaius, too. We will be scouting the Plegian forces alongside a few spies."

"Marth will be off doing her own thing after this." Ryoko told them, "While I will take a good chunk of our forces through the long way around and reuniting with Cordelia's team. Afterward, we will have the difficult task of stalling the Plegian forces for as long as we can."

"And how would we get the injured past the outpost?" Sumia asked, "You haven't told us that."

Ryoko sighed heavily. "Me and Marth will duel Moustafa and his second-in-command for the right to get the injured and noncombatants back home. Once they pass, he will certainly attack us to keep his family from being killed. We will give you an opening. If you don't hear of us in two weeks, assume we've been captured. If you see a massive black nine-winged Dragon, I'm either dead or missing my right arm."

She looked at everyone in the small group.

Marth was impassive as always. Not that it was surprising, seeing as she had helped make the plan. Cordelia's expression was set in a grim determination to succeed in the task, though her gaze betrayed her worry. Sumia was having a silent argument with Verna and was fidgeting like she had been on her first day on the field, while Gaius' sister tightened the grip on her lance.

Levi looked like he wanted to scream, shout and break something now that he knew the full plan, though he admirably restrained himself. He still didn't look happy at all to let his partner run off into danger again, this time to somewhere he could not follow.

"Everyone got the plan?" Ryoko asked, making sure they all knew their parts and receiving a round of affirmatives, "Questions?"

"How will I know who comes with me?" Cordelia inquired.

"They have been told to look for you." The blue-haired Dragon replied, "They will all wear black cloaks with a blue wing drawn on it."

The mysterious swordswoman tossed the redhead a black cloth, "Like that one. Once your group is alone, they will lose the color enchantments."

"Your hair is blue, Ryoko." Verna pointed out.

Levi merely sent a hex at his partner, and her hair became silvery.

He frowned, huffing in annoyance, "Messed up."

Ryoko dispelled the hex, and he tried again, this time with more success.

Her hair was not a solid silver, though, and anyone would notice the slight bluish tint to it if they looked closely. For their plan, it was more than enough.

"It's still a little blue." Verna commented, "Luckily, the weather is crap and it's barely noticeable."

Thunder rumbled in the distance, while drops of water began to fall, quickly becoming a downpour.

Ryoko trembled a little at being in close proximity to her Element, but she was otherwise very annoyed at the weather.

"Have you decided who goes and who stays?" she asked.

Sumia raised her hand a little, "I'll go with Chrom."

Ryoko nodded in acknowledgment, "Take Chrom, Tarja and Daraen and hide the two men among the injured. We'll make the switch as you pass."

Sumia saluted quickly and hastened her pace to go back to the front.

They walked in silence for a few minutes, until they saw Sumia and Tarja pass by.

"Have fun, lovebirds!" Levi called teasingly, earning a slap to the back of his head from Ryoko.

Cordelia fastened her new cloak and nodded at her, "I'll be off as well, Wing-Commander. Fair winds."

"Fair winds." The other four chorused as Marth jumped off the cart to walk beside them.

Levi put a hand on Ryoko's shoulder. "Swear that you will come back to me." He demanded quietly.

"Levi…" Ryoko sighed, "You know that—"

"Promise me." He insisted.

She was about to deny him again, but she noticed the desperate look on his face.

There was a flash of lightning, followed by the loud roar of thunder.

"Only if you promise the same." She replied instead, her voice wavering slightly.

He smirked confidently, "Count on it." He walked off, "Let's go, Verna."

Only Ryoko heard him whisper, "Be safe, my love."

"You too." She whispered in return.

"Let's go" Marth told her, briskly walking towards the front.

The other woman followed a moment later.

It wasn't long before they reached the front of the column, walking in silence as Ryoko applied multiple illusion spells to them.

They were just in time, as the scouts had reported both the outpost and the Plegians manning it in the distance.

Basilio raised an eyebrow at seeing them. "There you two are!" he said loudly, "What took you so long?"

"Ryoko and Levi weren't feeling too well." The female Dragon replied, her voice deepened by an illusion to sound more like Daraen's, "Sumia, Verna and Tarja are looking at them."

"Bah!" Flavia scoffed, "I told that stubborn woman to get herself checked for infections, but did she listen?"

"Glad to see you've snapped out of it, milord, Daraen." Frederick deadpanned.

He was probably unamused that the two Khans still hadn't noticed that Ryoko was making a passable imitation of their tactician while Marth put her acting skills to use to impersonate their prince.

The man hadn't been happy about it, but it was the only way to safely get Chrom and Daraen past the border.

"The Plegian outpost is in sight, now." Marth commented, "We should get ready in case the worst happens."

Ryoko shook her head theatrically, "I've heard he's a reasonable man. If we challenge him to a duel and win we can at least send the injured back to Ferox."

"What about the rest then?" Flavia demanded indignantly.

"Unfortunately, we can't exclude the possibility of Gangrel blackmailing his soldiers." Was her solemn reply, "We'll have to fight."

"Flavia, Basilio, Frederick, if you can, take advantage of the confusion and escape." Marth told them, "We'll catch up as soon as possible."

The female Khan spluttered in surprise, "W-What the hell Chrom?! Daraen, don't tell me this was your idea! I can't just stand aside and—"

"Flavia." Ryoko said sternly.

"My men need me here!"

"Your people need you more." Marth pointed out, "And, right now, half your people are injured."

The woman grimaced as if she had just eaten something extremely sour. "And what? You two intend to sacrifice yourselves, too?"

"Flavia!" Ryoko barked angrily, "Enough! This isn't the time for this!"

"Sir Daraen speaks the truth, Khan Flavia." Frederick interjected, "This is not the time to bicker amongst ourselves. Our tactician has a plan."

Ryoko nodded, "As I said, I'm certain I can negotiate to let the noncombatants through and for the conflict to be strictly confined to the outpost. Our battle will serve as a distraction for our soldiers to sneak past them. Those who cannot escape will take the long way."

"Mist River." Basilio concluded.

"No. Fort Ravenshear." Marth corrected, "Ryoko and Levi already agreed to man the fort if they can make it."

The storm was quickly becoming one of the worst to have ever graced the northern part of Plegia, making Ryoko shake with the excess energy being close to her Element gave her.

"This storm is massive, is it not?" Ryoko mused.

"Yes," Marth replied idly, "It's almost as if the heavens are weeping for Emm…."

* * *

 **Well, that's it for today. Now excuse me while I go cheer myself up with chocolate.**

 **As for notes... I decided to keep the first scene very vague and up to the reader's immagination, sticking to dialogue-only to show the sheer urgency of solving the situation quickly.**

 **Next, I decided to flesh out Nowi and Virion's chatacter a bit more, mostly showing beneath Nowi's mask. I also decided that now was as good time as any to do some worldbuilding and explain some Dragon mechanics. It was very fun writing that scene where they set up a meeting while pretending to be an airhead and a flirt, and that said flirt somehow manages to end up on a 'date' with multiple women.**

 **Yes, I added Fae! I wanted to add another Manakete, and found her entry in the wiki. Since I liked her character, plus other reasons, she's became part of the story during the draft, and I decided to keep her in. Before anyone asks, yes, in-universe her name was born due to Levi interrupting Ryoko's cursing.**

 **Fae is pretty childish, I know, but she's also smart when something pretty isn't distracting her. She can and _will_ be pretty insightful in the right situation, as demonstrated when she makes her decision to fight.**

 **The meeting was something that I had no idea how to handle, except for the fact that I needed Ryoko to come up with a crazy scheme and drive canon off the rails for a while.**

 **I added Marth mostly because I think she would observe Ryoko, find her brooding and speak to her to make sure the army has at least one leader not depressed, only to end up dragged into some crazy scheme.**

 **I know Ryoko's method of coping isn't very healthy, but she's not exactly the epitome of sanity, you know? Rather, I think she'd get bored of it. Case in point, her convoluted plan that may be just crazy enough not to blow up in their faces and actually _work_.**

 **By the way, all the locations mentioned in this chapter you don't recognize, apart from 'the Outpost', are original. There's so little said about the land that one has to make their own landmarks and areas if there's not a battle there.**

 **But what awaits the Ylissean-Feroxi Army? Will they be able to escape past the border? Find out next time!**


	25. Escape From Plegia

**Hello again, readers!**

 **Last time, I left you all hanging just before the confrontation with Mustafa. Be warned, ahead lay a massive death match, Grimeal and magic battles.**

 **Without any further ado, enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

 _ **Fire Emblem: Dragon's Claw**_

 **~ Chapter 23 ~**

 **Escape From Plegia**

Flavia watched as a good chunk of the Ylissean-Feroxi Army stayed behind to fight, resisting the urge to jump down from the cart she was in to go back and join the fun.

She had to admit, the bald oaf had outdone himself in organizing the escape route.

The problem was, the majority of the healers, two Dragonwings and their only other Dark Mage were here with them.

Don't get her wrong, she was happy that the tactician and the little prince had finally snapped out of it and got off their asses, but she wished they wouldn't be making themselves targets to let them escape.

For the umpteenth time, she pushed down the urge to go back to the battlefield when she saw the rest of the Wyvern Brigade take flight.

How had it gotten so messed up?

Oh, right.

The commanding officer's family was being threatened, Daraen found out about it and exploited a loophole to negotiate safe passage for the noncombatants, among which numbered quite a few people who were actually rather good fighters.

Then it all went wrong.

"This storm is massive, is it not?" Daraen had mused before it started.

"Yes," Chrom had replied idly, "It's almost as if the heavens are weeping for Emm…."

Their voices were distant, almost as if they had been thinking about something different and knew something everyone else didn't.

…And they did.

Boy, had Daraen known what would happen afterward.

Almost in tune to the Plegian officer, he had smoothly ordered the troops into a loose defensive formation, creating massive distractions and making a target out of himself. And then he had given the signal she had dreaded throughout the battle.

She understood his reasoning, though.

Damn it all, she understood what he was talking about with that strategy.

The only military leaders who remained behind were Gangrel's targets. Anyone else was out of the way, being smuggled across the Feroxi-Plegian border by a rather shy dancer in Basilio's employ.

Chrom was Alcander's son and had the Fire Emblem, Daraen was the one who nearly wrecked his plans and Ryoko had easily taken control of the skies from him and quite probably killed his tactician.

She wondered, though, why was Frederick not more against the plan if…

Oh.

Of course.

Ryoko _was_ the type to knock out two military leaders, smuggle them with the injured and rope someone to help her take their place, all so that she could screw someone over.

Flavia just hoped the girl had a fucking good plan and a better excuse next time they saw each other, or she was going to hit her with Raimi's hammer.

Dragon or not, she would definitively feel that.

.

"Ylisseans! I offer you mercy! Surrender to me now and live!"

That was how the Plegian commanding officer posted at what was simply known as 'the Outpost' greeted them.

Ryoko almost, _almost_ , smiled at that.

Mustafa was that kind of man. He was generous to a fault sometimes, letting people through with barely a glance to their documents and helping random orphans in his free time, but he had not survived to see fifty by being soft. He was a hardened veteran and an experienced fighter, ready to use every dirty trick and then some when his rather extensive family was threatened.

"Now what?" Flavia questioned irritably.

"Prepare for the worst." Ryoko replied somberly, "Pray for the best outcome. In any case, we'll have to fight."

She raised her voice, "How can we be sure your king will not execute us on the spot?"

There was a long moment of silence.

Basilio scoffed, "Surrender, you say? I'm sorry, but I'm not familiar with that word."

A pause.

"Emmeryn would not have wished for this bloodshed." Mustafa tried to reason.

"Don't speak her name!" Marth shouted angrily.

"Your rage is justified, Prince Chrom." The Plegian officer told him, "But the meaning of your sister's final sacrifice was not lost on me. I suspect many Plegians who heard her final words would say the same. If you lay down your weapons, I vow to protect you as best I can."

"As Sir Daraen put it," Frederick replied, "we have no guarantee that your king will not just kill us all or leave us to rot in a dungeon."

"I suspected you would say as much." Mustafa sighed, "So be it, then. I shall endeavor to grant you a swift and dignified end."

He reached for his ax, ready to give the command to attack.

"WAIT!" Ryoko interrupted.

"Will you reconsider, then?" the man questioned.

"No." She stated firmly, "But, as you said, there has been too much blood spilled unjustly already."

Marth sighed, gathering her courage to speak, "I challenge you to a duel for the right to grant safe passage across the border to our noncombatants!"

Thunder roared.

For a minute, the only sounds were those of the heavy rain falling, the roars of impatient or annoyed Wyverns in the distance and the howling winds.

Ryoko's heartbeat echoed in her ears, rapid and nervous but still carrying a grim air reminiscent of war drums.

"State your terms!" Mustafa demanded.

"Two on two, no magic unless at least one person on each side carries a tome, until surrender or incapacitation… or death." Marth listed easily.

"I accept your conditions!" the man replied. "Should you win, your noncombatants may pass through the Outpost. However, should you lose, your fighters will have to surrender."

"W-What?!" Flavia exclaimed angrily.

Ryoko raised a hand to interrupt. "Acceptable."

"I agree." Marth said, gesturing to Ryoko. "He will be my second."

"Talaal!" Mustafa called, causing a pale man on a black stallion to come forward to stand next to his commanding officer.

"He has magic." Ryoko pointed out blankly, "Be careful, this might turn out harder than we thought."

Marth grimaced, but stepped forward anyways, almost strolling to a more open area as Ryoko followed close behind and Mustafa and Talaal did the same.

Once they were facing one another, Ryoko could identify a Nosferatu tome on the man's lap, ready to be used.

She took out a Fire tome and opened it, flipping it to a random page and aiming her hand upwards as she cast.

The resulting fireball was a bright blue-green and flashed twice before exploding in the sky above their heads.

Azura and Zeiss screeched, and a barrier sprung up around the four fighters, giving them enough room to battle but keeping them caged in and everyone else out.

Mustafa raised his eyebrow.

"Merely an insurance." Marth explained, "This way, nobody will interfere with our duel."

"Very well." The man nodded in understanding.

"I am General Mustafa of Plegia." He declared, drawing his ax, "If you wish to keep your lives, then you must win them!"

"As you said, I am Prince Chrom of Ylisse." Marth said in reply, "Best of luck to you."

"Talaal Faraj of Plegia, Sorcerer." The pale man introduced himself, "Try to keep up."

"Silver, tactician of this army." Ryoko stated, her tone flat as she took out her enchanted blade, "Prepare yourselves."

She slipped into a ready stance, waiting patiently for anyone to make a move as she activated her Sky-Eyes.

The field wasn't overly large, about the size of the Feroxi Arena, and mostly even. Mustafa was an experienced fighter, so good with his ax that he had the advantage no matter what unless his opponent was of similar skill with their own weapon. His backup, instead, was a complete unknown.

Judging from the tomes the man had, Talaal was most likely experienced with the darker arts, possibly on Levi's level or better, and he had gotten there on skill alone.

On their side, they had a nullified weapon advantage, an unbreakable blade and another one very nearly so, Svalinn just in case the man could use Forblaze and two of Rho Aias' gems. Oh, and Laevateinn's flames could be useful as well.

Ryoko and Marth were also not used to fighting together, unlike their opponents, so the deck was heavily stacked against them.

The blue-haired Dragon knew Daraen's battle style, though. It was similar to hers, even if adapted to tome magic, leaning more on the magical side than the blade. Ren was not as fast or powerful as her, so he tended to deal with close and long range simultaneously, using the faster thunder and wind spells to take out ranged threats while fighting at close range with his blade and the few dark spells he had learned from her and Levi rather than using both simultaneously for everything.

She sensed magic approaching, and she sent a blade of wind to shatter the spell's core in a shower of bright sparks.

Marth and Mustafa charged at one another.

Ryoko ignored them in favor of the Sorcerer.

She sent sparks at him, testing the strength of his magic.

Talaal smirked arrogantly, and with a wave of shadows the sparks were dispersed into harmless energy.

Overconfident, then.

Possibly arrogant, but an arrogance that was well-backed rather than loud barks with no bite.

She sent a few more sparks and hexes, trying to goad the man into attacking her head on.

Around her, the gathering magic shifted ominously.

Keeping up her insignificant assault, she jumped to the right, taking out one of her self-written tomes, which she had given to Daraen previous to this.

Levitating the handwritten book to her left, she carefully built the spell matrix for one of Daraen's many combinations.

The overlaying circles glowed faintly, but all of them were quickly buried under the first, a measly Spark.

Spark was a mostly useless spell, a joke used to teach beginners self-defense and how to feel their own magic or to hinder the escape of bigger prey. It caused some mild pain and either slowed or outright paralyzed the target on contact. It had no level, no incantation, and even calling it could become optional, making it barely a step up from a stunner spell.

She dodged a few more spells and hexes, letting the Spark's magic occasionally flicker in response to her movement.

She sheathed her sword temporarily, using her now free right hand to keep casting harmless spells at her opponent as she continued to build the combo.

In a moment of lull between attacks, she quickly spared a glance in Marth's direction, noting that she was about on even ground with Mustafa.

Finally, Talaal lost his patience and charged forward.

She shot a stunner at the stallion to slow it down, and cast the spells.

Spark was first, overpowered as shit from all the magic she had fed it, and it was broken by Talaal's sword.

The other circles revealed themselves, each glowing faintly, " **Thunder! Split Thunder! Elthunder! Spark! Thunder! Arcthunder! Thoron!** "

The barrage of spells was evenly spaced, with only a breath's pause from one to the next as each slammed into the man's hastily raised shield.

Of course, the first four to five spells had the very specific purpose to weaken and break said shield, while Arcthunder was to either deal extra damage or as insurance of the shield's destruction.

Just as the initial Spark was overpowered just to cause a very mild paralysis even if the target wasn't hit directly.

Talaal was sent roughly to the ground on his back as his stallion fled from a fear curse she shot at it with her free hand before retaking the sword.

He sputtered in rage as he unsteadily got to his feet.

Ryoko smirked, taking a stance with a brief flourish.

"Damn Ylissean." He hissed angrily, "You dare throw me to the ground, you filth!"

"Ylissean…" she murmured to herself before her smirk widened, "It has a nicer ring to it than 'Drifter'."

He charged blindly.

She dodged smoothly, slamming a stunner in the man's stomach as she ducked under his next swing.

" **Eat my foe's lifeforce.** " He hissed, " **Nosferatu!** "

Ryoko didn't have time to react properly, and barely managed to erect a barrier in time.

He viciously attacked her sword arm rather than go for a killing blow.

She created various blades of wind all around him and parried.

He tried to push her back.

She won the struggle for power and forced him to jump to the side.

She flipped her tome to another page and studied it as fast as she could, trying to memorize the pattern drawn on the page.

"Marth!" she called.

The woman immediately broke off from Mustafa, jumping back just as Talaal's Nosferatu activated, nearly catching the general.

"Switch." Marth said, knowing Ryoko would easily hear it even with the storm and battle.

Ryoko immediately shot towards Mustafa, sword drawn and the tome tucked inside her cloak once more.

Marth focused on Falchion, making the blade glow a light blue.

The sword easily cut apart most of Talaal's spells, and the man was quickly cowered into fighting at long range.

Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Ryoko easily pushing back Mustafa before skirting to the side or jumping back in what looked like some elaborate dance.

She grimaced.

The plan was clear, though.

Ryoko, Daraen and Miriel had built three types of devastating combination arrays. One to take down shields, one was the impenetrable barrier that surrounded them, and the last…

She easily batted aside a blow of his sword.

…was a three-tier anti-mage spell, the first of which could be used by even Miriel herself to defeat spellcasters on par with Levi.

As a downside, the array had to be slowly and carefully constructed, with the tiniest mistake resulting in a devastating backlash.

Marth wove around the man's sword and spells, thankful of her recent experience fighting human opponents rather than Risen.

Ryoko being Ryoko, she could somehow skip entire steps in a pinch and keep the spell stable while jumping around in the middle of a sword fight, but not even the Silver Dragon was capable of constructing that spell while flinging magic at someone else.

Which meant that Marth's role in the case of facing off a mage on a level Daraen could not feasibly defeat quickly enough was that of dealing with Mustafa until Ryoko riled up her opponent, then keep the mage busy until she was ready to unleash the tier-one version of the spell and finish him off, by which time Marth would be free to get back to her own battle.

Talaal tried to regain control of the battle by using a spell at close range, but Marth was very familiar with those surprise attacks, thanks to her Aunt and cousins, and evaded it.

She countered quickly, trying to finish him off sooner rather than later.

A moment after finishing her swing, something slammed into her side.

She was sent flying to the ground, Falchion slipping from her grip at some point.

The man smirked in self-satisfaction.

She groaned at the pain, and deduced it had been a rather nasty Ruin.

" **Nosferatu!** " Talaal commanded.

The shadows gathered around Marth, and slammed into her.

Without Falchion's light to ward off the effect, the magic attacked her lifeforce, stealing it for its caster.

The man maintained the spell with a sadistic smile on his face as she struggled to break free.

Ryoko would not be able to finish in time.

She had to face this battle alone.

So she grit her teeth and tried to get up.

She found that she couldn't.

The magic was keeping her down and it felt like the rain was a massive weight pinning her to the ground.

Her vision was starting to get little black spots, and she briefly considered just giving up.

…But what would her cousin say if she gave up now?

If he were in her place, he would have said something about his sword hand, then he would get up and do a dramatic pose.

She wouldn't be one-upped by the dramatic boy who was five years her junior!

Gritting her teeth against the pain, she put her hands under her body and fought against the spell's pressure to get up.

Falchion gleamed.

Focusing on the fang, Marth cycled what little magic she had through her body, the holy energy generated by her link to it weakening the spell just enough that she could rise to her feet.

Her eyes glued to the glowing sword, the woman took a sliver of her magic and pushed into the Nosferatu, shattering its core.

She shot towards Falchion, easily picking it up and changing directions to charge at Talaal.

With a battle cry, she prepared one of her family's most powerful skills.

She blocked a blow, and threw Falchion into the air.

Talaal lunged at her.

She dodged and jumped, grabbing the sword.

"Aether!"

Using her own weight, she slashed at him from above.

He tried to block, too panicked to dodge.

The man's sword, sturdy steel as it was, could not match a Dragon's Fang, and broke.

Marth landed neatly and dashed forward for a second slash.

Talaal stumbled backwards in an effort to avoid it, failing.

The attack hit him, leaving a nasty slash across his ribcage and a few broken bones.

The stolen energy was sapped, and returned to Marth, healing her of the damage done by the dark spell.

The cut in the man's robes had also let fly something, but she could not discern what it was.

Talaal laughed hysterically.

There was a flash of red at the corner of her eye.

"GRIMEAL!" Ryoko shouted. "Awaken, Laevateinn!"

A flaming sword was thrown in the direction of the flash, which was now glowing with a malicious purple mist.

Talaal abruptly fell silent.

His hand went to his chest, desperately clawing at it as if trying to find a knife stabbed into him, even though his only injuries were electrical burns and a slash that wasn't lifethreatening if treated soon.

" **Endless storm, howling winds, scorching flames, heed my call beyond the lands of light and shadows, by balance of magic deny power to this blade! Deny my foe to draw on thine strength unless by will of the Gatekeepers! Bind!** "

A glowing silver mist emanated from Ryoko's body, quickly sailing towards Talaal and slamming into him.

The now revealed Grimeal screamed as his magic was forcibly bound.

Turning her attention to Ryoko's sword, Marth noticed that its flames were focused on something.

Ryoko's eyes were fixed on it, glowing an inner light that was very reminiscent of those same flames.

If there was one thing Marth knew, it was that the only way to anger Ryoko to that point was for someone not to burn— or let her do it —a Grimeal medallion.

It was because other than proof of rank, they were very nearly a weapon.

Those medallions could summon other Grimeal to them, or call upon unspeakable magics to use Forsaken-class spells, self-destruct and kill everyone but the owners of said medallions, drain others' magic or let someone higher up on the food chain possess whoever had it at the moment, among other things.

It was possible that they could also function to summon Risen at the moment, but nobody in the army who knew about them was sure or wanted to test it.

The two disguised women sighed in relief when the flames died, and the blade's harsh glow faded.

Talaal fell to the ground, dead, his body fading into black smoke.

Ryoko was quick to jump and retake her sword, rolling to face Mustafa.

She was quick to charge in and attack fiercely.

Mustafa fended her off with little effort.

Marth observed, waiting for an opening.

He paid her no mind, focusing more on the Dragon's quick blows.

Her swings were wide and left multiple openings, but tiny sparks and blades of wind protected her from someone exploiting them.

The Plegian general was beginning to lose patience.

She knew it was annoying him that he was being matched and overpowered by two 'young upstarts', and it annoyed him that there were Grimeal in the military.

She struck and he blocked.

He countered and she danced out of the way.

She struck and he blocked again.

It was a deadly dance, almost looking looking as if it were perfectly choreographed, if not for the deepening frown on Mustafa's face.

And then Ryoko was getting pushed back.

She jumped behind Marth, who had taken a fighting stance in the meantime.

And they proceeded to prove why certain pairs were the deadliest in the army, mainly Chrom and Daraen, Ryoko and Levi, and Lon'qu and either Ryoko, Levi or Daraen.

Marth smoothly blocked the blow, and Ryoko dashed into the general's guard from behind her battle partner.

He barely managed to block that blow, and Marth was free to attack.

She slashed at him from above, very close to Ryoko.

Again, it took him all his skill to block, and he had to back up to avoid Ryoko's attempt to skewer him.

In tandem, the two women pushed him back.

One defending and distracting, the other attacking. Then the other did the defending, and the first attacked. And they changed roles again, and again, and again, in a never-ending cycle. In the rare cases the defender could not make it, a small spell deviated the blow enough.

Both of them knew, one mistake and they would be lucky to end up crippled with their own weapons.

This was the concept of paired up fighters taken to its logical extreme, the ultimate show of mutual confidence and trust between two people.

But even with the sloppy stance the two women had, their respect for one another and the determination to not to lose this battle made it possible to fight smoothly together, blades passing harmlessly millimeters away from their partner's skin.

To those observing, it felt like an eternity before Falchion finally shattered Mustafa's ax, and Ryoko decked the man with a punch to the face.

Both women brought their blades at his neck, threatening his life.

They had won.

"Yield." Marth commanded, her breathing perfectly controlled even as her legs trembled under her.

Ryoko was standing impassively, looking as if she hadn't just had a ten-minute death match with two people that greatly outclassed many soldiers.

Mustafa eyed the two blades, and the two women holding them.

Neither of them would remove that blade unless he admitted defeat, and they would hesitate little to kill him should he make things difficult.

He could see it in their gaze, a hard steel countless of battles and loss.

The Plegian general sighed, "I yield."

The barrier flickered and disappeared, and Ryoko and Marth removed their swords from his neck, though they did not sheathe them just yet.

"As agreed, the noncombatants may pass through." Marth stated.

"Aye." Mustafa said, his eyes widening slightly as he realized he'd been had.

Huffing, Ryoko turned her back to the man, sheathing her sword to return to the army, directing the to healers where they needed to be and chosen soldiers disguised as merchants to lead the carriages with supplies hidden everywhere they could think of in the short time they had, among which were Donny and Panne.

Marth stayed to keep an eye on the general.

The two stayed there in silence, waiting for the other to say something or make a move.

"Smart one, your strategist." He commented after a while, "I didn't realize I've been had until it was too late." He scoffed, "'Noncombatants'. Has Roy been teaching him or something?"

She snorted, mostly because she had been on the receiving hand of Ryoko's vaguely-worded ideas, agreed, and found out she'd been suckered into something unpleasant, embarrassing or humiliating, something her fiance and his siblings had picked up, saying it was a family tradition.

Marth knew, however, that they just found it funny to trick Loki or some poor unsuspecting fool into losing sucker's bets.

"Silver says it's some sort of family tradition." She replied.

"Tricked Loki into buying me a literal ton of chocolate, too!" Ryoko suddenly said from behind Marth, making her jump a little.

"All ready, then?" Marth inquired as if she had not very nearly given them away by shrieking.

Ryoko nodded, "Everyone's waiting for the all clear, and then I'll have Donny lead them up north. And no, I never even met Roy, general Mustafa."

The man sighed tiredly, "A pity. I like the lad, has a good head on his shoulders for a damn sellsword and gets along with all the kids. Almost like he's a rebellious son, I tell you. I just hope he hasn't been dragged in the middle of this shitstorm. He deeply respected Emmeryn, you know. He admired how she never gave up her dream of peace."

"The Exalt was a formidable woman." Ryoko replied quietly, "It's sad that her dream was shattered by a madman."

Mustafa sighed again. "Aye. He shattered many of those. I only hope my dear wife does not suffer from it."

Ryoko smiled mysteriously, "She won't."

She slammed a stunner in his chest, sending him backwards.

"SCATTER!" she shouted. "Brig up the barriers! Don't let them catch you! The remaining mages, keep the soldiers off of us! Come on, move it! Form a defensive perimeter!"

She whistled twice.

The two Wyverns roared in the air, and Fae used her staff to cast Ward on the pair.

Zeiss dove quickly, as Mustafa barked orders to his troops to attack.

Running forwards, Ryoko used the general as a springboard to jump towards the massive Wyvern, using the harness to climb onto the saddle as he caught Marth and flew out of range of possible thrown objects.

She was dropped on Azura shortly after, while Ryoko continued to organize a rather sloppy defense.

The reason for this was that they would not be doing it for long.

It was only enough time for them to make a massive mess, for Ryoko to reclaim her scarf and break the illusions and she would be giving the retreat signal.

In the chaos of battle, Ryoko and Fae would make massive annoyances of themselves, casting spells everywhere while Ryoko summoned Dragon Knights all over the place.

In the meantime, the troops that remained would flee while the volunteers that were in on the plan would stay behind and fight with Ryoko's Horde.

Then Ryoko and the Horde would cause a distraction and get everyone away.

Ryoko looked down, assessing the situation.

Deciding that the mess was enough, she flew up in the middle of the battlefield, setting off a large red flare with her magic.

She slumped into Zeiss' saddle, stroking the Wyvern's side.

"I'm sorry you can't be with your partner for a while." She told him, "I'll send you to him as soon as possible, I promise."

Zeiss crooned reassuringly.

Ryoko sighed, recomposing herself. She had a plan to enact, after all.

Silently, she prayed to both the Skies and the Guardian Dragon that they would make it out with very few casualties on both sides.

Feeling the Seal warm slightly at the prayer, she smiled before directing Zeiss back into the heat of battle, fingers sparking with magic as they shot towards the Plegian Wyvern Riders.

* * *

 **That was insanely hard. I had most of the original chapter scrapped and only used the bare bones. Also, from now on I will be editing as I write. While I will eventually revisit the entire story to get rid of plot holes and typos, it'll be near the end of the story. If you notice some, please tell me and I'll fix it as soon as possible.**

 **Now, notes!**

 **I decided to add in Flavia's horrified realization of Ryoko's plan. With what's going on, even I need to write some silliness in or I get depressed and can't write on.**

 **You might have noticed that Ryoko's battle style is becoming more refined from 'overpower spells until it dies' to 'kill it quick and without wasting magic'. The battles she faces are forcing her to think and carefully manage her resources, to set traps and bide her time. She will not, however, replace Daraen's role.**

 **I know this wasn't on par with the battle against Aversa, but here Ryoko and Marth were disguising themselves as Chrom and Daraen. The tactician isn't capable of that level of casting just yet, while Ryoko practically lives overpowering spells.**

 **Speaking of, the spell chain, Spark, Bind, the barrier, Nosferatu's incantation, the Grimeal medallions and Talaal are all original, and thus mine. If you saw it somewhere else, sorry for accidentally copying stuff.**

 **I also left you with a little foreshadowing.**

 **Until next time, and please tell me what you think!**


	26. Planning Ahead

**Hi, readers!**

 **I've got nothing much to say except that these next few chapters will start greatly diverging from canon, and there will be loads and loads of OCs, original concepts, deviations from FE canon and locations that do not appear in-game.**

 **If you do not fear what my twisted imagination has come up with, go right ahead and enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

 _ **Fire Emblem: Dragon's Claw**_

 **~ Chapter 24 ~**

 **Planning Ahead**

The first thing Ryoko did once the greatest chunk of the army was gone had been hastily swap places with Fae, then use the much faster Azura to bring down an unholy rain of all sorts of prank hexes, all the while the Dragon Knights covered their retreat.

She stayed behind just long enough to dismiss everyone barring Longinus, a quiet brown-haired berserker with a dirty white cloak, who had volunteered to be Fae's bodyguard at least until they managed to get her casting spells reliably.

Now firmly back in Plegian territory, Ryoko returned to her silver outfit and led the bulk of the remaining troops back the way they came.

She knew they were about a day and a half of travel from the Lake of Despair if they pushed it, and then not even the Mad King would dare pursue them.

The monsters that dwelt there were quite literally the stuff of nightmares, and only the strongest even dared _think_ about approaching.

From what little information was available, some upstart dark mage thought it was a good idea to experiment near a large source of water, but crossed the line and was hunted down and the area purged. It resulted in the land still being scorched to this day, the lake tainted and extremely poisonous, and a bunch of remnants of those experiments roaming the area.

Again, it got too out of hand, and the whole Lake was put under a spell that essentially put the whole area in an alternate dimension away from people.

To the mages who did it, it just meant that the issue was not in the way and therefore Not Their Problem.

Ryoko thought they were pansies, but also conceded that the Lake of Despair would make the ultimate training ground to most Dragons and that it was possibly the best place to find rare ingredients to make some of the rarer potions.

Of course, she would only lead the army on the very outskirts of the dimensional barrier, maybe see if they could dump the monsters on Origin Island since nobody ever went there anyways, and they would set up a very strict guard schedule for the whole time they would spend there.

Hopefully even with the detour it would be possible to reach Ravenshear Fort within the next seven to ten days, so they would have more time to think the next step through.

For now, their only goals were to set up a base at the Fort and to get as accurate info as possible on the state of the army, then delay Gangrel's advance as long as possible, so that Chrom and Daraen could be brought out of depression and retake control of the army.

Ryoko knew she wasn't all that good as a leader at the top of the chain. She did best when she had various other equals to butt heads and exchange ideas with. She was the one to point out holes in plans, form the best groups and coordinate among them rather than spend all day looking over reports, in spite of her rather reclusive personality.

That wasn't to say that she would doom the entire army in the meantime. It was just that she was much better at leading a smaller team in completing an established objective than at managing troops in any way.

That was why she had brought in five people to help her out.

Frederick's second-in-command and cousin Mathias was one of them. As were Virion and Miriel, if only to help organize documents and supplies and make more robust strategies than her typical ever-changing plans.

With her there were also Kynthelieg, who had become rather jumpy around large amounts of injured, and Lisanna, one of the Feroxi warriors who were familiar with her.

Ryoko just called her Zanna because by the time she had been able to pronounce her real name, the nickname stuck. She was ridiculously proud of herself for being able to pronounce that double, too, as she had a lot of trouble pronouncing those.

Finally seeing the sun set beyond the horizon, she gave the order to stop for the day.

They quickly put up their tents and cooked dinner before retreating into their tents, where any light they created would be dimmed significantly.

Levi had been the one to suggest this precaution, mostly to keep their movements a little more secret and to avoid attracting undue attention.

Besides, this enforced the fact that they needed to go to sleep more, as being forbidden to light anything unless on patrol convinced more soldiers to just call it a day immediately.

It was a good thing, as they were able to use mass cooling spells to move through the whole day rather than waste the hottest hours sitting around, having the full night to rest.

It was better than risking the Ylisseans developing pneumonia or hypothermia because the nights were usually even colder than Feroxi winters in the desert.

At least the tents were insulated.

.

Levi called the Shadows to himself, hiding in the semi-constant darkness provided by the dark skies.

He had chosen to do this mission alone, much to everyone's protests.

However, he needed speed and stealth most of all.

His hand absently went to his side, where a slight discoloration of his skin was hidden by his tunic.

Glaring at the distant fort, he shook his head to clear it.

He quickly darted forward, stopping for cover as soon as possible.

He sighed.

Reaching the Iron Fort without getting caught was such a chore. The patrols had already started showing up, and he was a day of travel away on horseback.

He moved again, hiding in a corner to ensure he wasn't seen.

Those bracers for suppressing his signature were so uncomfortable….

Unfortunately, he needed them on unless he wanted to be a guest of the prison. Again.

He still thanked the Skies for that fire, because otherwise he might have remained there for who knows how long. After all, they had been aware that his fake identity was a Dragonkin and had likely attracted the Grimeal.

As it was, he suspected that the cultists had tried to break in and burned something nasty.

Refocusing on his task, he wondered if the others were alright.

Levi was especially worried about Ryoko's group, because he knew that the 'long way' to Ravenshear passed right by the Lake of Despair, a place he was certain that even Grima himself would hesitate to enter.

.

"This is certainly a mess." Commented Cordelia.

"Yeah." Mather agreed.

It had only taken two days to reach Mist River and cross to the other side, thanks to the horses they had been provided with.

"And I thought my room was bad." A young Feroxi soldier snarked.

"Careful, Mattashi, your ma might hear ye!" an older Feroxi teased him.

They shared a brief laugh before becoming serious again.

"Come on, boys let's clean this place up!" a woman with a rather large bust shouted, "We only have five days left to work!"

"We'd need months to make this livable!" a man complained.

"More like five _years_ …." Mattashi grumbled, "How in Naga's name are we supposed to do this?"

"Mattashi, Mather, Luke, Freydis and Skidi, come up front!" Cordelia shouted.

Mather was the first to reach the redhead, being the closest, followed by a grumbling Mattashi.

Next was Freydis, who had spoken up earlier, followed by a redheaded Ylissean and a muscular Feroxi with a thick beard.

"Mattashi and Mather, you two go take care of our animals." Cordelia ordered quickly, "Frey, you form a group of ten people and set up a kitchen, the sleeping quarters, a storage area and a strategy room, in that order. Skidi and Luke, you two will take twelve men and make a complete inventory or as close as you can get to it, then put everything we can use in the storage as soon as it's available. Everyone else will stay with me and we'll see what needs to be done. Questions?"

"Cordy, do we just focus on our group?" Freydis asked.

"Yes," Cordelia replied, "We need food and decent rest first of all, even if we have to get creative. We'll think about the others once we have inventory."

"Can we work separately?" Luke questioned, "We'll cover more ground that way."

"Not today." She told him, "Work on the rooms closest to the main entrance first. You can branch off when we are set up."

"Do we _have_ to take care of the animals all week?" Mattashi moaned.

"Yes." Cordelia said firmly, "You're in charge of _all_ of them, including any game we need. Also, if you happen to find any useful plants, gather them. Get some help if you need it, but no more than four people."

Mather frowned, "Are we getting any help?"

"Once the place is livable, yes. Until then don't count on it. Any more questions?"

She scanned the room, and seeing that there weren't she begun organizing cleanup, patrols and the next three cooking turns.

They had a long few days ahead of them….

.

Nowi and Gaius were hiding.

He had accidentally pissed off the Manakete, and they had been heard by a bunch of Grimeal.

They had been stuck in a cave under the rain for the better part of the day, the space cramped and humid, with only a pair of rabbits to eat.

He sighed.

And to think, all this was because she had caught his fellow men (and Spikes) secretly voting on who was the prettiest woman in the army and wanted to know who he voted.

Last he heard, there had been mixed results.

Frey was favored because of her immense boobs, quite a few nobles liked Twinkles best and a good number of commoners preferred one of the healers or Stumbles, to name a few.

Much to her eternal embarrassment, Spikes was almost unanimously considered in second place due to her exotic looks, though strictly off limits.

Gaius privately agreed that the three female Dragonkin had their charm, even if he had only seen the Kiddo once.

Nowi wouldn't look at him, offended, even if he knew she was grateful he dragged her into the cave before she ran into one of the Grimeal.

He was also pretty sure that his sister would murder him, then resurrect him and roast him alive for this.

He sighed, shifting a bit to the left.

With how tight space was, he expected to bump his hand against the wall.

He felt nothing.

Curious and more than a little bored, he glanced down at his hand.

And bit his lip to avoid yelping in shock.

His fingers were going through the wall!

Idly, he moved his hand away, to see it was intact.

He shifted so that he faced the wall a little more, and pressed his hand against it at eye level.

Nothing.

He frowned. Was he seeing things?

Still touching the wall, Gaius slowly moved his hand down the wall, trying to see if the strange hand-through-the-wall thing happened again.

When his hand reached chest height, the rock disappeared under his fingers.

He tried pushing his hand in, and suddenly his wrist looked as if it was stuck in the rock.

He withdrew his hand, examining it.

It was still whole, if drenched.

"Nowi." He whispered.

He poked the Manakete. "Nowi."

"Nowi!"

Finally, she turned, looking annoyed. "What?"

"Look." He replied quietly, sticking his hand through the wall.

"An illusion?" she breathed.

Her face took a look of intense focus, her eyes glowing slightly.

" **Shatter the illusion of this world of magic. Disrupt.** " Nowi cast quietly.

A part of the wall rippled briefly, disappearing.

Gaius raised an eyebrow. He never heard of a spell that could nullify illusions!

He shook his head, focusing on the task at hand: escaping the Grimeal.

"Let's go." He whispered, crawling into the hole she revealed.

"Reapply it once you're through." Nowi told him.

Gaius turned to look at the girl and focused.

The air rippled, and the wall reappeared.

He stuck something to the side of the wall, "Done. I'm going ahead."

Without waiting for Nowi, he crawled forward a little before taking out a pair of sunglasses from one of his many pockets and putting them on.

He could finally see decently.

He knew snagging those glasses from that shop would come in handy! Besides, it wasn't like anyone would have bought them anyways with how much they cost.

It was cheaper to just get someone to do the enchantment.

The tunnel they were in continued for a while, twisting and turning on itself.

Finally, the two emerged into a large chamber.

There were tall piles of gold coins everywhere, with numerous gems and artifacts scattered around.

Off to one side was a massive bookshelf filled with ancient tomes that somehow hadn't become dust yet.

In the center was a dais with intricate designs and some ancient writing.

"Here…" Nowi read, "rests the… treasure… of… the…"

She stopped abruptly.

"Whose treasure?" Gaius questioned warily.

"Of the King Of Earth Dragons Medeus, his wife Queen Janet, and their son, Prince Grimlok."

"Wait, Medeus as in the mad Dragon who came back to life, like, three times?" Gaius asked incredulously, "That same Medeus who was defeated by the legendary hero Marth? _That_ Medeus?"

"Would you believe that Ryoko and Levi are his descendants?" Nowi said as an answer.

"You mean to say that Spikes and Dusk actually _own_ this stuff?!" he squeaked.

"Not really." Nowi replied, "Grimlok's eldest and youngest children do, but I doubt they actually care."

"Oh." Gaius sighed, "Think we can find another exit?"

"Maybe?" the Manakete said, "Should we even bother?"

"That tunnel was waaaaaaay too narrow for it to be an entrance." He told her, "Especially since this place is hidden by illusions, there's no way that that was anything other than a secret passage."

Nowi sniffled a little.

"Nowi." He said, getting the girl's attention, "It's gonna be okay. We'll get outta here and find the best info out of everyone else, and then we'll kick Gangrel's ass into the next century. Alright?"

The green-haired girl wiped away her tears and nodded hesitantly, "Y-Yeah."

"Hey." He whispered, "I'm sorry about what I said."

Nowi finally smiled a bit, "Okay."

"Good." Gaius said, "How about we see if we can steal their sweets? They _gotta_ have some candy."

She giggled, "Yeah!" she agreed enthusiastically, "They can't _all_ be stuffy candy-haters!"

He smiled. "Whoever finds the other exit gets first pick!"

.

Ryoko's hair stood on end as they approached the dimensional barrier.

She stopped, turning to address the soldiers.

"Listen up!" she shouted, "From here on for the next three days we'll be walking on the outskirts of the Lake Of Despair. Those guard schedules _better_ be respected while we're here! We'll be walking all day, with multiple breaks, so get your sleep then. Those of you stupid enough to be caught by the dimensional barrier will be left to the monsters barring special circumstances. This is _not_ a game. Do not fight the monsters alone. Do not approach the barrier. Do not stray from the group. Am I clear?"

There were murmurs of agreement, but she wasn't satisfied.

"I said, _am I clear_?" she repeated, her tone dangerous.

This time, she received a chorus of 'yes, sir'.

Satisfied, she turned forward, "Let's go! The sooner we start, the sooner we can be far away from this hell."

.

Cordelia looked happily at Fort Ravenshear.

It took them four days, but it was finally _livable_ inside.

A good number of weapons was rotting, rusting or both, but she was well aware that adding in a minor elemental enchantment could make them deadly projectiles, especially if done by someone with fine control.

Thing was, with useless equipment there was no need to worry about losing it. You could just make it blow up.

And the fort, mostly unused for at least twelve years, was positively _filled_ with useless stuff.

Arrows, darts, swords, spears, axes, javelins… very little was salvageable. And it was all going to blow up from magical overcharging.

They had very quickly burned all the food and spices that were left, as it was all rotten or eaten by mice and insects, and restocked it with what Mattashi and Mather's team had gathered.

They now had all the sleeping and cooking space they needed, and Freydis had come through with her task of finding a room to serve as storage area.

Well, more like three rooms, one for their food, one to dump in the useless weapons and a last one for general stuff. She had assigned a pair of well-organized mages to manage them while they were not otherwise occupied with training or cleaning the fort.

Now they just had to find enough space for about half a thousand people and enough food for them all.

She was so not looking forward to the next few days.

Especially not to the headache that came with her task.

.

" **COME FORWARD, ASCALON, DURANDAL!** " Ryoko roared.

She was holding off two monsters at once with Laevateinn and Drexion, while Longinus took care of the third. Miriel and Virion were trying to get them to back down while Fae used her staff to heal the fallen soldier that had valiantly held off the beast while his companions gave the alarm.

Needless to say that the man would be considered a Feroxi if he survived. It took a special kind of badassery to fight a massive wolf-like creature alone.

He was lucky they had been nearby, because otherwise he would have been dead by now.

Mathias, Lisanna and Kynthelieg were leading the soldiers away right now.

The two Dragon Knights took one look at the three beasts and immediately separated one of them from Ryoko, giving the Dragon enough time to activate her second sword's enchantment.

Finally able to take a breather, she activated her Sky-Eyes and examined the three monsters.

The largest looked like a bulky wolf, its 'fur' smoky and wraith-like. Its fangs were large and dripping with a thick fluid that could be venom, saliva, acid or something else entirely. It attacked with its too-sharp claws and tried to bite at targets, though thankfully Longinus' spear was keeping it at bay and at a distance. The beast also seemed to be able to use some sort of dark ice breath attack, but he was adept at fighting that sort of enemies.

The other two were slightly smaller, but equally large. Both were vaguely humanoid in appearance.

One had the head and tail of a bull, its extremely short fur red with dried blood, slitted eyes glaring at Durandal and Ascalon as if contemplating on whom to ram into with its horns. It wielded a massive stone ax with ease, and occasionally attempted to swipe at them with one of its clawed hands.

Ryoko knew that it was only because they were testing the waters that it could do so. For all they argued, those two could make a deadly pair in combat.

Her own opponent was the smallest and possibly deadliest of the three.

It was a humanoid Chimera.

Everything about the creature was a deadly weapon.

Its feet were taloned, its muscled body spiked and covered in thick scales, its head that of a lion with horns. One of its arms was covered in sharp, metallic feathers that it could throw, while the other was covered in thick stony armor and had sharp claws. It also had a snake tail that had attempted to bite her multiple times.

As if that wasn't enough, the thing was intelligent and was trying to lay traps when Ryoko had arrived and interrupted, and it could cast spells.

"I swear…" she muttered as she jumped back to avoid its claw, "…that someone was experimenting on Dragonkin…" she ducked under the claw, "…and the result had babies."

Because there was no way in the Frozen Hells that this thing wasn't part Fallen with how tough its scales were.

The problem was, she couldn't transform to fight the humanoid Chimera.

Ryoko quickly slashed at its feet, then blocked its claw with Laevateinn.

A pained howl told her that she had succeeded in setting the wolf on fire, and she turned her full attention on the Chimera, which had been doing its best to keep her on the retreat.

"Laevateinn!" she activated the sword a second time, this time creating three flaming wolf constructs and leaving them to their own devices while she used some more flames to draw runic arrays.

The three wolves attacked the Chimera from the sides, while Ryoko kept it on the defensive with her swords.

It tried to kill the wolves with its dark magic, but it was ineffective.

Laevateinn had been enchanted to respond to her signature, after all. At their very core, the flames were both electric and dark.

She let herself smirk as my wolves absorbed the magic.

" **Split Thunder!** " she roared.

From behind her, the bolts of lightning shot towards the Chimera, quickly hitting it in succession.

She jumped back and hastily kept Drexion vertically, "Rune: Trigger On!"

Drexion glowed briefly with magic, and the flaming runes became spells.

They shot towards the Chimera just as the wolves cornered it, and Ryoko charged again, slashing wildly against its unprotected torso before jumping back again.

Magic pulsed a second time, and a barrier sprung up around the Chimera, preventing its wildly thrown spells from doing any damage.

More silver runes were drawn and activated by a combination of Laevateinn's flames and Drexion acting as trigger.

" **Roar, Zarja!** "

A large black wolf emerged from a swirling golden portal, growling fiercely.

"Go for the Breaker Combo!" she told him, " **Light Storm!** "

The black wolf charged and jumped at the Chimera.

Ryoko manipulated the fire wolves to attack from the other sides.

Mid-jump, the wolf turned into a black-haired man with black leather armor wielding a sharp halberd.

She charged right behind him.

They both attacked in quick succession and jumped away.

It screeched as black blood poured on the ground from the wing-arm.

In a fit of rage it destroyed the fire wolves, but they exploded in its face as Ryoko sheathed Laevateinn.

" **Lightning Aura!** "

Condensed light hit the Chimera from above.

" _ **Fimbulvetr!**_ "

Freezing winds surrounded it and iced its feet, rendering it immobile.

" **Burn the endless skies! Elfire!** "

A jet of flames hit its chest.

" _ **Descend and tear the skies apart! Elthunder!**_ "

A massive thunderbolt followed it, shattering the armor on its claw.

" **Siphon!** "

The spell it was attempting to cast fizzled out.

" _ **Astra!**_ "

Zarja seemed to disappear and attack five different times at once, before reappearing opposite of Ryoko.

" _ **NAGLFAR!**_ " they cast at the same time.

The two spells hit simultaneously, feeding off each other to cause more damage.

The Chimera screeched in pain, and fell silent.

Once the spell faded, Ryoko threw a knife at its head and buried her sword where its heart would have been, while Zarja cut off the snake's head and burned it to a crisp.

Then he beheaded the Chimera.

Ryoko drew multiple runes in the air and placed her hand on Drexion's hilt.

" **I invoke the power of Mother Magic. Let the world be restored to balance. Purify.** "

Light surrounded the Dragon, seeping into the sword and through it into the Chimera's corpse.

When the monster was completely engulfed, the light brightened for a moment before fading.

No better way of making sure the thing was dead than invoking Magic itself and overloading the spell, in her opinion. While to living beings the light would purge any illness and feel warm and welcoming, Magic did _not_ like abominations like Chimeras, the Risen Hordes and the Forsaken and would destroy them if given the chance.

" _Way to overpower the spells._ " Zarja commented, " _Where did you even find the power to do it that way? I thought you still had the Seal._ "

"I had to activate the failsafe." Ryoko replied, "A lot has changed."

" _Yeah, like you're in the middle of a war when you're basically the ultimate neutral._ " The wolf Summon grumbled, returning to its original form, " _Anything else you wanna tell me?_ "

"I'm getting hitched as soon as this war is over." She deadpanned.

… _ **insane.**_ Grima's voice echoed faintly in her thoughts.

 _'What is_ that _supposed to mean?'_ she shot back, lips twitching a little.

"Let's go hunt a Wraith Wolf!" she declared, posing dramatically.

Zarja rolled his eyes as Ryoko charged at the wolf-like monster, but followed her.

The Dragon shifted Drexion into Bow Form, quickly shooting a barrage of Thunder arrows before jumping on its back.

She returned the Claw into its base form and stabbed it in the beast's neck multiple times, holding on for dear life as it tried to throw her off.

Before it got to that point, however, Zarja sunk his teeth into the monster's paw and used its massive weight to make it fall.

Ryoko climbed down the neck and slashed at its throat and then at its other paw, breaking it.

Longinus was quick to end the monster, stabbing first its throat and then its heart with incredible precision.

She turned to see if her other two Summons needed help, but Ascalon had just burned the thing to a crisp and Durandal was looking rather smug.

" _You should skin it._ " Zarja suggested, " _That fur makes for really good armor and enchantment material._ "

He disappeared a moment later.

"Helpful as ever." Ryoko muttered, annoyed, "Damn Nephilim."

"Do you reckon your Summon's statement holds some truth?" Miriel asked, studying the downed monster's corpse.

"I've never fought one before, however briefly." Ryoko replied, "Zarja's original world does share some materials' proprieties with ours, but I wouldn't know. Either way, almost nobody else will have it, so it's rare."

"Let's quickly skin this thing and get out of here." Virion said, "Preferably before we attract more monsters with this smell."

"Agreed."

.

"Intrud—" the cry was cut off by a dagger slicing his throat.

The killer stood there, watching him fall with something akin to fascination in his eyes.

"You done?" Levi drawled irritably, "This place is about to go to hell."

The man growled irritably, but sheathed his dagger nonetheless.

"Any other prisoners around?" he asked.

An annoyed growl was his answer.

"So they've kept it up, have they?" Levi hissed angrily, "Let's bring this shithole down."

"There they are!" the wardens shouted.

"Kistel." Levi said, "Is the offer still valid?"

The man nodded, offering his hand, palm up.

"I accept." He declared, grabbing the hand in a warrior's handshake.

His wrist burned.

" _With this, the contract is forged, Summoner._ " The man said.

He now looked healthy and not like he had been in a living hell for decades. His long hair was silky and shone golden, his skin showed none of the dirt and grime that it had before, and his eyes regained their spark of power.

His worn prison clothes were replaced by leather armor in golds and yellows, and he wielded a war scythe.

" _ **Howl, Kistel!**_ "

With those words, the man smirked and charged at the wardens, Levi following him closely and taking care of any that the man missed.

"We need to steal the documents first!" he told Kistel as they broke through the prison's defenses.

The man jumped and became a golden-furred wolf, landing immediately after and sprinting towards another direction, Levi following him.

Kistel had been here far longer than Levi had, and the Dragon trusted him to know his way around.

" _What do we do about the abominations they created?_ " the wolf asked as he turned around a corner.

"Are any of them worth saving?" Levi questioned.

" _No._ " He replied, " _Every last one madder than the next._ "

That made him almost pause.

When he had been captured and held here, a couple of his prison mates had been somewhat sane.

It seemed that this time around the dark mages had driven everyone to madness while experimenting on them with Kistel's power.

They had thrown them in the same cell together, and he had struck an odd friendship with the half-feral man.

He had been offered a personal Summon contract, but had refused to bind someone to himself like that.

Still, despite his refusal, Kistel had helped him escape the fire with no strings attached.

Seeing how fondly Ryoko spoke of her Summons when she was still unable to call most of them made him think back on his friend's offer.

And now that he had the chance he had taken it, if only to hear his friend speak again and give him another chance at life away from the hellish place.

In spite of how much he dislike Holy-type spells, Levi was fully prepared to purify the damn place, even if he had to invoke Magic itself to do it.

Finally, Kistel stopped at a door, turning into a man again.

" _This is the door._ " He said.

Levi nodded, focusing the Shadows at the door and shattering the lock.

The door creaked open a second later.

"Let's clean this place up."

He made a beeline for the furthest shelves, absently leaving a powerful barrier on the room's entrance so that nobody could enter or attack them from outside.

He began taking out files and folders indiscriminately, shoving everything into his expanded bag with only the minimum care to make sure they did not get damaged by piling in more papers.

He also threw some interesting trinkets and artifacts into another bag, this one warded to contain magic, to study later on.

Kistel helped by bringing the papers and artifacts from the opposite side of the room.

Soon, the place was cleared out completely.

Levi tripped over his feet, but regained his balance quickly.

He froze.

The sound the floor made was not normal.

He stomped on the floor to make sure.

Sure enough, his suspicions were confirmed.

"There's something down here." He said.

He quickly used his Dragon magic to dispel all illusions.

Sure enough, a trapdoor was under their feet.

Levi had tripped over the handle used to pull it up.

" _Well, well, well._ " Kistel drawled, " _Hiding something, are we? Let's see what it is._ "

Levi smirked viciously as he broke through the trapdoor with his magic.

They descended carefully, the Dragon placing the illusion of a plain floor and nervousness to drive off anyone.

Judging by how deep the hole was, they had gone down to the first floor, ground level.

It just made it easier to burn the whole place down and it experiments with it.

Using his magic to light the room, he looked around.

The room was bare, though there was a desk and chair in the middle. On the desk there was a small pile of documents, neatly stacked and ordered.

Levi took the first and read it.

It was just a boring report.

He took the next.

They were all boring reports.

His eyes narrowed. There was no way boring reports would be in a secret room under a trapdoor hidden under illusions that were almost Dragon-level.

" _ **Shatter the illusion of this world of magic. Disrupt.**_ " He chanted.

Sure enough, the documents were much, _much_ different.

He quickly skimmed through them again.

What he read made him growl angrily.

He roughly shoved the documents into his bag, the Shadows gathering ominously around him.

" _Oy, Lev!_ " Kistel shouted in surprise at the waves of magic rolling off him, " _Calm down, man! You'll bring this place down on our heads!_ "

"They're going to siege Ravenshear." Levi told him, a haunted look in this eyes, "The rest of the army is there. _Ryoko is there._ "

" _Shit._ " The blond swore, " _Look, Lev, you gotta calm down. Freaking out is not going to help here._ "

He didn't listen.

He was too angry that they were attacking his mate's hideout and base in two days. That she would be walking right into an ambush.

" _Leviathan Grimm, calm down and listen to me this instant!_ " Kistel shouted, punching him in the face.

The shock of the blow snapped him out of it, and he stared incredulously at his friend.

" _You were being an idiot._ " The man supplied, " _Now, let's torch this place and make sure there are little to no remains, and then let's find a way to contact your fiance or whatever they are to you._ "

.

"Wing-Commander!"

Ryoko turned to the unfamiliar woman's voice— she was one of the six saved by Levi and the healers.

"The world better be on fire this time." She muttered irritably.

"It's not, Wing-Commander." The woman replied dutifully, "However, it might as well be in our situation."

Ryoko sighed, "What is it?"

"The scouting team sighted Gangrel's forces heading this way." The woman said, "They'll be upon us in less than a day."

" _WHAT_?!" the blue-haired Dragon screamed.

"A-A small force of flying units is heading in this direction." The Knight elaborated nervously, "They're led by the Mad King's bitchy aide. They're not sure, but the scouts believe Gangrel to be following them as well."

Downstairs, quite a few people were astonished to hear Ryoko's loud cursing in three different languages.

* * *

 **BOOM! You didn't think I'd make it _that_ easy, did you?**

 **Rest assured, dear readers, that just because I'm deviating from the game's plot I will not give it up entirely, nor will I leve out the battle aspect.**

 **Now, to the end-of-chapter notes!**

 **I have no idea of how the idea of the Lake of Despair even popped into my head, only that it seemed oddly right. It was originally just a lake filled with gigantic killer insects that I put into a small story I wrote to get rid of a plot bunny.**

 **Before anyone asks, yes, deserts _do_ get insanely cold at night, and no, I don't think Frederick has any canon family members.**

 **As I'm sure you noticed, Gaius will not be calling Nowi 'Kid' in this story or giving her a nickname for some time. That is because Fae is the most childish in the group rather than Nowi. Also, yes, I referenced their C-support at the beginning of their segment. And, yes, Ryoko participated (and voted).**

 **I added the lost treasure because why the hell not? Well, that and for some character development and possibly a little side plot later on.**

 **I will admit to getting a little carried away with the monsters and the battle against them. I will also admit that the giant wolf and the minotaur were not the pinnacle of originality. As for the chimera, it's semi-intelligent, but not all that smart. It can lay traps and adapt, but it has nothing against a creative and sufficiently skilled warrior, provided that said warrior actually _lives_ long enough to form a strategy. Considering how strong and fast it is compared to normal humans, and adding the sharp throwable feathers and the snake tail, it's not very likely.**

 **Zarja is referred to as a Nephilim because I really had no idea of _what_ to call him, and that's the random name generator I got his and Kistel's names from. Zarja is also the black wolf you see briefly in the Prologue.**

 **Finally, Kistel and Levi. Yes, I am aware that it contradicts an established rule. It'll be explained in the next chapter a bit better. I decided to make Levi a shotened version of Leviathan for no real good reason other than that it sort of makes sense and that 'Levi Grimm' does not sound cool.**

 **Let me know what you think in a review, and until next time!**


	27. Siege of Ravenshear

**Greetings, my dear readers!**

 **I bring you all the continuation of this story, which is turning out to become much, much bigger than I thought. At first I thought it would be nice short, about double the number of chapters than the game and around 1-3k. No such thing. This is just the first arc, and it'll be a while before I reach the end at this rate, though not for lack of trying.**

 **Well, before I stop boring you all to death, a special thanks goes to Socail, storyteller1333 and Hellion Prime for following Dragon's Claw. Also, I wrote a little section inAversa's perspective, and it has some strong language.**

 **Now, on with the story!**

* * *

 _ **Fire Emblem: Dragon's Claw**_

 **~ Chapter 25 ~**

 **Siege of Ravenshear**

"Wing-Commander!" a young blond called.

Ryoko turned, raising an eyebrow.

The teen— she was about Lissa's age —stopped to catch her breath for a second before recomposing herself.

"There's a golden-haired man outside looking for you." She told the Dragon, "Nowi and Cordelia let him in."

"Did he say who sent him?" Ryoko inquired.

"He said someone called 'Grimm'." The girl replied professionally.

Ryoko froze.

"Are you absolutely certain that he said 'Grimm'?"

The girl nodded.

"Gather everyone for a meeting." Ryoko ordered, "Immediately."

She barely paid any mind to the girl saluting, she just Flashed outside and quickly made her way to the man, whom Mather helpfully pointed out.

"You were looking for me?" she asked him.

The man nodded, handing her a hastily copied paper, " _Levi sent me when he found this. Aversa is about to lead some Grimeal here to lay a siege while Gangrel catches up. The details are all there._ "

"Matches the scouts' reports." Ryoko muttered grimly, "And confirms our worries. Where _is_ he?"

" _Blowing up the Iron Fort._ " The man deadpanned.

"Of _course_ he is." Ryoko rolled her eyes, "Clearly, 'be discreet' means to make a mess of shit. Tell him to make sure it won't be traced back to us and to make it flashy while he's at it. If anything, it'll be a distraction."

The golden-haired man shrugged, " _Can't argue with that. Who knows, maybe they'll divert some forces._ "

The Dragon nodded, "Right you are. Now, shoo! I still gotta organize a counter!"

With a shit-eating grin, the man disappeared into a golden portal.

Ryoko blinked. "Levi has a Summon. Who knew?"

… _ **Summon…?**_

"Sometimes people form contracts with other beings." She replies absently, "Power for power, strength for strength. A contract of equals. One fights, and the other completes a task. Then the tables are reversed. They come and go as they please once the contract is complete, though the bond remains."

Then she noticed that she had been speaking out loud, and shrugged.

She did wonder, though, how she and Grima could still communicate despite the failsafe being active.

She hastened her pace and made for the meeting room as fast as she could while still reading over Levi's notes in the margins of the paper.

.

Not too far from Ravenshear Fort, just on the other side of the Mist River, was a group of soldiers.

Among them was Aversa, with her left arm in a cast and her face and torso covered in bruises. Her Pegasus had smatterings of fur and feathers still missing or too short from many small cuts, though it could fly just as well as before.

The white-haired woman growled angrily as she accidentally jostled her broken arm.

The beast was lucky that it could heal so quickly.

For her impulsive chase and her failure, she had been restricted to a low-level healer.

Which might as well have been nothing, because all he had done was give her pain herbs, something to help heal the bruising and a shitty Heal on her ribs.

That damned Wyvern Rider!

If it wasn't for that fucking midget waif, she wouldn't be in this situation!

Instead she had lost Ereshkigal, and revealed Forblaze to a dangerous enemy.

And, as if that wasn't enough, the little shit could Summon, and had a powerful Horde. One of those fucking Dragons.

Aversa would be ready to bet that she was _that one_ Dragon, too. Either her or the other one, the male that had followed them.

Her hand went to her saddlebag, where she kept _those_ special powders.

She smirked viciously.

There was no way that damned Rider would be able to stand up to her.

She didn't have them on hand during the chase, but now she _did_. She would pay the fucking midget for the humiliation, even if she had to force her arm's healing with Forsaken magic to engage the bastard.

She was going to _destroy_ that Wyvern Rider.

Nobody crossed the Grimeal and got away with it, after all.

.

That night, Ryoko could not sleep.

It wasn't due to worry, stress or paranoia.

A combination of elements had gathered this night.

The sky was dark with clouds and without stars or moon visible.

The young Dragon had learned to ignore the effects of having that level of magic course through her body if necessary over the years, mostly as Shadow wasn't her primary affinity.

Thunder rumbled loudly as Ryoko absently listened to the heavy rain fall.

She tried not to shake.

Really, there was the mother of all storms outside, but exhausting herself wasn't too bright of an idea.

If she was lucky, she could find something to amuse herself with during the night and just stay up the whole time.

She shook again as another wave of magic coursed through her body, and she sighed.

Her Element could be so troublesome sometimes.

While magic was amplified according to the element surrounding someone, it was normally negligible.

People strong enough or with strong enough affinities for it to really matter were rare outside of Dragonkin, and even then it was still a one in five chance unless age and a lifetime of training were involved.

Between the Seal, the ability to Summon and her intense training to regain her full abilities, Ryoko had only increased her already powerful affinity.

If she really wanted to, she could sleep only two or three hours on overcast nights, as could Levi.

A small smirk crossed her features as she thought of how they could put that extra time to good use.

Once they got properly married, of course.

She scowled at that.

It reminded her that the war with Plegia was still going on and most likely would stay at a standstill for a while.

"R-Ryoko?" she heard Fae stutter from the doorway.

She turned, humming concomitantly.

"Shouldn't you be in bed?" the Manakete questioned.

"I could ask you the same thing." The woman replied.

"Fae was practicing magic." Fae replied, beaming happily, "Fae can cast Fire now!"

"That's awesome." Ryoko told her, "But you shouldn't overwork yourself."

Absently, Ryoko activated her Sky-Eyes and scanned the fort.

Almost everyone was in bed, having taken seriously her warning of an attack coming unexpectedly.

She knew that bitch Aversa, and she had seen her work.

The woman was a tactician almost on par with Daraen, and it was only her lack of restraint that prevented that.

But now, Ryoko was at full capacity.

Her magic had grown even further since their confrontation.

That tiny step that had been missing for her to be able to Summon reliably in battle again had taken little time to complete now that her magic wasn't straining to keep her from going insane from early-stage magical exhaustion every time she cast more than five spells.

Between her Summons, Svalinn, Laevateinn and Drexion, Ryoko had little doubt that she would be able to keep Aversa out of Ravenshear for some time, not to mention Rho Aias had recovered three more gems since the battle, bringing it up to five.

She drew Drexion and focused on it, using it to bring her Eyes to the second level.

Again, she scanned the fort and its surroundings.

She only saw the few soldiers on patrol moving around, their weak lights showing them the way as they scanned the horizon.

The magic rippled faintly.

She frowned.

"Want to come with me?" she asked Fae on a whim.

If the Manakete was still up at this time, she might as well stay up a couple more minutes, she thought.

"Okay!" Fae chirped, following Ryoko out of the room.

The two women— for all that Fae was like a child, she was a year older than Ryoko —walked silently through the fort.

The blue-haired Dragon's eyes were still glowing purple with the Sky-Eyes active, sometimes randomly flickering to green when she strained her magic to pick up on the strange ripples she had felt.

Finally, they were on the other side, at the very top of the fort, when the rippling magic became more defined in its form.

Ryoko guessed she should have expected this.

Concealing magic and suppressors.

"Do you want to try a spell?" Ryoko asked her companion.

"Fae can?" the Manakete squealed happily, "Yes!"

Ryoko whispered the words and told her the name.

"You got it?" she asked once she was done.

Fae nodded enthusiastically.

She then turned to the outside of the warded fires, focusing her magic at them, " **Shatter the illusion of this world of magic! Reveal the hidden and break their spells! Disruption Wave!** "

The second level of Disrupt washed over the Plegian forces advancing slowly and somewhat stealthily towards them.

They didn't notice when their concealment spells and their suppression barrier broke, revealing their signatures to the world for the sensors to feel.

Ryoko focused her own magic.

" **Let no magic pass these walls or be felt in this plains! Null Magic!** "

The Fort's walls faintly glowed as the spell seeped into them, creating a dead magic zone within the fort itself, from which were exempt only herself and those she designated as allies or neutrals.

Healers could heal, weapons could be enchanted, spells could be cast, but should anyone wish harm to those inside the protection, the magic would merely fail or be fed to some other spell instead.

" **Hide this place from the world outside. Endless Mist.** "

A thick fog settled on the grounds, only thinning near the fires, though in the magic dead zone it would only affect her foes.

They wanted to fight blind in the night? They would damn well fight blind.

" **This battle we fight, let it light the skies with fire! Let the strikes of our blades be the roaring thunder! This night, and never again! With the Earth, Skies and Hells as my witness, I sing in this Night Of Eternal Storms!** "

The final spell seemed to have no effect, except that the very air stilled with anticipation, the rain thinning a little and the lightning flashing more distantly.

It was as if the world stopped turning to observe the coming battle.

It was Ryoko's personal Dragon spell.

A borderline Realty Marble that created a Dragon's battlefield.

Transformations would be extremely fast and would have less cost the longer the battle continued, feeding off the enemy's magic and stray spells.

It begun weak.

However, as it became stronger, the eternal night and storm would become more and more intense. It would become so dark that the battlefield itself became invisible, the storm would be so strong that lightning would strike continuously.

Obviously, this would only apply to those she wanted it to, as it was her spell.

"THE PLEGIANS ARE COMING!" one of the soldiers on patrol shouted at the top of his lungs, "WAKE UP PEOPLE! WE'LL BE UNDER ATTACK SOON!"

Ryoko smiled ruefully at the Manakete, "Well, let's get to work. Go help the healers."

She turned to run back inside, but she was stopped by Fae grabbing her wrist. She had a stubborn look in her eyes.

"Fae wants to fight, too." She declared seriously, "Fae wants to help more than healing soldiers. Fae wants to keep them safe, too."

The blue-haired Dragon turned to face her, trying to stare her down.

When she failed, she placed her hand on the childish woman's shoulder.

"I trust you remember how to use a dagger." She said.

Fae nodded.

Ryoko took out a pair of daggers from her belt, one thin that appeared to glow white or gold in its color, the other the color of blood with a purple hilt, its blade jagged and glowing dangerously.

"These are Kryusten and Kothite." She told Fae, indicating first the white and gold dagger and then the red and purple one, "Should you will them to, they will always return to your hand in an instant."

Fae nodded, showing that she understood.

"Kryusten will make you faster and harder to hit. Kothite's blade can poison others. Don't overdo it."

Receiving a final nod from the Manakete, Ryoko ran inside, barking orders and rousing the sleeping soldiers.

The siege of Ravenshear had begun.

.

Ryoko ran quickly up the stairs, barking orders as she went to organize the various teams, following behind the remaining Dragonwings to the small platform they had mounted on a bridge between watchtowers, from where they could easily jump onto their partners' backs and not lose precious few seconds.

She deviated a moment later, taking the long way by passing through the roof, where Virion and Miriel were organizing a possible counterattack with the numerous arrows and the three trebuchets they managed to build.

She made a quick stop, enchanting the arrows to their limit and giving a quick warning about explosions before leaving again.

As she ran, she formed her Dragon Mask, three pairs of wings forming on her back as her long, spiked tail kept her balance while she ran over one of the smaller bridges connecting the various watchtowers.

Her clawed hands were already drawing small runes and arrays as she prepared for the battle ahead, the strong winds howling in her ears and past her horns, revealing and hiding streaks of red in her hair.

Scales of black and silver dotted her face and body, an old faded scar from a Thunder spell gone wrong in her youth glowed a fain golden-yellow as she went up the stairs of the watchtower.

Within moments she was at the top, and she whistled as she crossed the bridge connecting it and the next before jumping off at roughly halfway.

Her scarf covered her mouth for a few moments as she landed on Azura's back, flattening her wings as much as she could to help the Wyvern.

They were off.

Ryoko unsheathed Drexion, changing it to Staff form before Summoning her Hordes.

The Dragon Knights were quick to join in the defense of Ravenshear Fort, joined moments later by the Drakes' younger generations.

She noted that Aversa was hanging back, her arm in a cast, and smirked, showing her fangs through the Mask.

Soon, the magic surrounding the Fort was making the storm stronger and stronger, and her partial transformation was changing with it.

Her Mask started to spread down her body, forming armor in place of her clothing as she rained hell from above with her runes and lesser spells.

She roared in challenge, Azura flying to meet the Wyvern Riders as she shifted on her back to be able to stand up without falling.

The Riders were quick to disperse and try to get to the fort, though they quickly gave up the idea when they were easily rebuffed by the enchanted explosive arrows.

She parried an ax and retaliated by lashing out with her claw.

Runes shot at the flying Risen, Lighting and Aura tearing them apart in seconds.

She caught an ax and flipped over it, throwing off two Riders in the process.

Ducking under a third swing, she stabbed the attacker in the stomach from below.

She briefly traded spells with some mage before she managed to toss Arcflame at just the right angle that he didn't see it coming until it was too late.

More flying Risen came her way, and she changed Drexion into a bow, sniping at the monsters with light arrows.

Mather joined her soon after, and they quickly cleared the skies of the Risen so that the mages and snipers could focus on the ground.

" **Go take care of the mages!** " Ryoko ordered, " **I'll keep these beasties busy!** "

"Aye!" Mather shouted back, steering her Pegasus towards the other side.

" **Azura, on three!** "

The Wyvern screeched in agreement, quickly climbing into the air.

" **One.** "

Drexion was sheathed as Azura stopped rising and angled herself towards the coming flying Risen.

" **Two….** "

With a powerful beat of her wings, they were diving right at them.

Ryoko waited patiently.

" **THREE!** "

Azura spread wings, buzzing by the flying Risen with a taunting screech as she quickly fell out of their range.

Ryoko was enveloped by a bright golden and silver light as she fell, and then she was a Dragon.

Finally shifting into Adult form brought her a feeling of glee.

She had retained her third and smallest pair of wings, though she was just now noticing the feathers.

Her second pair of wings had become slightly smaller than the main pair, tiny feathers covering their top while the main wings remained bat-like and clawed.

Her tail was now covered in thick spikes, as was the back of her neck, and ended with a deadly barb.

A pair of fins at the end of her tail disguised themselves as spikes, and with them and her new wings it was almost as if the rough winds did not exist.

Roaring cheerfully at being finally able to charge in with her thick scales, she shot a ball of condensed electricity at the Risen, who scattered.

The silver Dragon effortlessly changed directions to pursue them, making short work of the slowest ones.

Without warning, Azura rammed into one of the Risen, letting Ryoko slash it in two with her claws while the Wyvern killed the next.

Below, the Dragon Knights, the Drakes, the remaining Pegasus Knights and the soldiers of the Ylissean-Feroxi Army had managed to form a rather solid defense, even pushing back against Aversa's forces.

 _"_ _ **Be careful!**_ _"_ Ryoko warned through one of Miriel's inventions, _"_ _ **Aversa is a much better strategist than this. She has something up her sleeve, and I'm willing to bet that it's rather nasty.**_ _"_

The small gemstone that hung around her neck with a piece of string enchanted to keep it on her neck no matter what was called a 'Link Stone' and, according to the redheaded mage, would let people who had it communicate through thoughts, though they had to be specifically focused for it to work.

It suited Ryoko just fine, since she could just go off to battle and coordinate the rest of the forces under her command from the air.

.

"Kyn!"

Fae quickly turned a corner without even stopping, searching for the priest.

"Kyn!"

Finally, she reached the room that served as their infirmary.

Kynthelieg was working on a man with a broken leg, though he probably would be joining the fight within half an hour if needed.

"Kynthelieg!"

Fae panted heavily, catching her breath.

"What is it now, Fae?" he snapped urgently.

She didn't let it bother her. She had learned that in the field of healing, that sort of attitude saved lives.

"I-It's t-t-terrible!" she blurted out, "F-Fae saw the creepy lady with white hair circle around the fort!"

The man stumbled, "W-What?! Are you certain?"

Fae nodded seriously, "Fae is really, really, _really_ sure."

"I don't have time for this shit." He muttered.

He cast a few more spells at the man before turning to her.

"Give me your comm stone." He ordered sternly.

Hesitantly, she obeyed.

Kyn quickly snatched it and put it around his neck before removing the one he originally had and giving it to her.

"Put this on."

Fae carefully took it and tied the clasp around her neck.

"Listen well, Fae." He told her seriously, "I know you don't feel like it, but you're older than me. You're twenty-five, lady. Not only that, but you're naturally stronger than almost everyone. You're a healer at heart, I can tell. But I need you to fight, here. I need you to defend the fort from that creepy lady and direct the soldiers here."

Fae frowned, uncertain. "B-But—!"

"Fae… that lady… Aversa… she wants to kill all Dragons, and all Ylisseans. To her, you're both. The blue-haired archer you play with? She'll try to kill him, too. You're the only one here who can stand between the archer-mage group up there and Aversa."

She thought about it for a few moments, "Okay."

She nodded, "Fae will fight."

"Promise you'll do your best to stay safe, too."

Fae nodded seriously, "Fae promises."

Kynthelieg turned back to his work, barking orders to the various healers she had trained with during the last few days.

Without speaking, she turned around and sprinted out of the room, heading back towards the creepy woman.

She activated the necklace, _"Fae speaking! Fae saw Aversa in the Fort! Fae is going after her before she gets upstairs!"_

 _ **"WHAT!?"**_ Ryoko screamed over the link, _**"How the Hells— of course!"**_

 _"What is it now?"_ Cordy snapped irritably.

 _ **"Aversa is using a Forsaken copy spell. Get Syrenne and Zeiss to her— Fae, keep her grounded no matter what. If you get the chance, burn her Grimeal medallion. Keep us updated, Fae, and be careful."**_

 _"Should Fae attack her?"_ Fae asked.

 _"You should, Lady Fae."_ Virion replied, _"Also, be wary of her spells. She holds Forblaze in her arsenal, as well as many other nasty surprises."_

 _"I have theorized that Aversa most likely holds teleportation powders and some sort of pre-prepared spell to call forth more Risen."_ Miriel told her, _"The object is most likely a box. Destroy it as soon as you can. Also, there is great chance that she has poisoned her lance."_

That meant Fae would have to fight in close combat as soon as she could manage.

Suppressing a shudder at the thought, she drew her two daggers.

A blade barely missed Fae when she ducked at a corner.

Fae squeaked in fear and surprise, but kept moving and swiped at her attacker.

Her mind went into overdrive.

She didn't want to fight anyone. Her heart kept telling her to find a better solution, a peaceful one. She was scared of what failing meant.

Ryoko had been a harsh teacher in that regard. Failure meant death in battle, success meant survival.

And yet, she wanted to protect those on the roof. Her instinct told her to fight, that there was no reasoning with the _tainted_ , the Forsaken.

Fae listened.

She retreated for a moment to better grip her daggers, Kryusten in her left hand and Kothite in her right, before putting her lessons to work.

She struck and wove around Aversa's blows, trying to make her drop the medallion she carried.

.

Nowi stared ahead at the distant shape of Fort Ravenshear.

And stopped.

"Th-That's a Dragon's Territory!" she exclaimed in shock.

Gaius tilted his head in confusion, munching on his candy, "What?"

"A Territory," she repeated, "An area where the rules of the world are shifted, usually to suit the caster. This one has three layers, all Draconic."

"Why would there be these Territory things on the Fort?" Gaius asked to himself, "I mean, there's no point unless… _shit_!"

"'Shit', what?" Nowi questioned.

"Nono, dear," he told her, "I am no mage, but even _I_ know that powerful spells need constant magic."

"Ryoko wouldn't waste her resources like this." Nowi realized in horror, "There's a Null Magic, a Mist barrier and what seems like a personal Dragon spell."

Said horror was then perfectly justified when something went up in flames, followed by a deafening boom.

Nowi transformed quickly, lowering herself to let Gaius climb on.

He stared at her confusedly.

" **What are you waiting for, get** _ **on**_ **!** " she snapped.

.

"Stay still so I can kill you, brat!"

Fae swiftly dodged out of the way of multiple spears belonging to the Risen that had been trapped in some badly-reeking box, plus Aversa's.

" **Fire!** " she cast quickly.

It was, honestly, the only spell she could cast reliably yet.

Unfortunately, the fireball sputtered out just before reaching the woman.

She smirked nastily at this, making Fae assume a defensive stance.

 _ **BOOM!**_

Pushing down her surprise, Fae charged at the woman, roughly snatching the Grimeal medallion from the air and snapping its string, nicking the woman with Kothite before running off to upstairs.

 _'What do I do now?'_ she panicked silently, _'What do I do, what do I do?'_

Skies, they were following her.

That wasn't good. That wasn't good at all.

…Or maybe it _was_.

 _"Fae here! Fae is trying to lead Aversa and the creepy monsters upstairs!"_

 _"Miriel, I leave them to you."_ Virion said.

 _"Understood."_ Miriel replied, _"I request that you direct the mages in my absence."_

Fae turned, noticing Aversa lagging behind, and stuck out her tongue tauntingly before continuing on her way.

"Can't catch Fae~!"

.

Watching from the tallest tower, Virion had to admit that Ryoko could be a force of nature when she desired to be.

Sure, the strategies were a bit passive and relied on groups moving around, but that was the beauty of it, he thought.

Even when he still knew her as just the Lady Roy, the Dragon had a somewhat passive battle style.

Against immobile foes, she did not move.

No, Ryoko reacted to the battlefield.

To casual onlookers, she might as well be dancing gracefully against her opponents' clumsy movements.

She reacted to the flow of battle, changed it to suit her own needs without anyone noticing.

He loosed an arrow upon some unsuspecting fool that believed he could get closer to Fort Ravenshear's entrance.

Ryoko was currently creating a minor rain of spells, runes and hexes while 'entertaining' Aversa.

Below, their soldiers were moving between enemies, obstacles and ambushes, all warned by Ryoko and Miriel's communication amulets.

From above, he could almost imagine that it was a beautifully elaborated dance on their side, while their foes stumbled around trying to regain their footing.

Still, he directed the other archers and mages, occasionally including Mather, pointing out targets.

He frowned to himself, thinking of something.

 _"Lady Roy, if this battle prolongs for more days than tonight we are going to need reinforcements!"_

 _"Not… now!"_ Ryoko replied, _"Kinda bu— SHIT! —busy at the… moment!"_

Judging from the pauses and cursing, she was getting up close and personal with the more than slightly crazed Plegian commander.

 _"Fae, can you write?"_ he asked the Manakete.

 _"Fae can."_ She replied confusedly, _"Why?"_

 _"As soon as you can, send a message to Levi to get us some help."_ He ordered, _"We might need it."_

.

Ryoko landed back on Azura with a smirk.

"This battle is over, Aversa." She declared.

Azura screeched and dove, just as Ryoko shifted into her Half form.

The Dark Flier scoffed, "What makes you think I will give up here? This area is well above your little barrier!"

Ryoko's smirk did not waver, but widened.

She simply brought a small necklace out of one of her pouches, silver, in the shape of a Dragon curling around a round, glowing, blue gem.

"You want to kill me." She stated, "You want revenge. It clouds your insane mind. Your clone is gone."

Aversa growled angrily, "I am about to kill your damned archers!"

The glow intensified.

"Fae." She commanded aloud, "Use Kothite."

There was an instant where nothing happened.

And then— " **Shatter!** "

An intangible wave of magic hit Aversa's chest, right between her considerable assets, and the white-haired woman screamed.

Ryoko watched dispassionately as she suffered from the backlash of a Forsaken spell breaking.

She carefully timed her wingbeats so that she would be ready to dive as soon as her opponent regained her bearings.

Aversa brought out a tome, ready to begin casting.

" **Silence!** "

Again, a mere word from Ryoko imposed her will on the world even as the storm calmed minutely.

This time, Aversa found herself unable to speak.

Ryoko shot towards her, Drexion shifting back into a sword as she batted away the spear and attempted to behead the woman.

The attack was barely blocked.

"Leave." The Dragon hissed menacingly before kicking her in the face.

Once she recovered from the blow, reluctantly, Aversa turned tail and flew away.

"This isn't over yet!" the woman shouted.

" **Fort Ravenshear is a Dragon's Territory. Those who are unwelcome will stay** _ **out**_ **.** "

With those words, the weather slowly returned to normal, revealing the early morning sky, the horizon tinged a slight reddish-orange even though the sun wasn't visible yet.

" **This is as I say.** "

The magic snapped into place, generating a barrier around the fort that would keep the Plegian forced away.

Having exhausted most of her reserves, Ryoko reverted to the form of a human, feeling suddenly dazed.

The wind howled in her ears.

All she heard was screaming and a call for retreat before everything went dark.

* * *

 **CLIFFHANGER!**

 **Just so you all know, it caught me by surprise, too. I was wrapping up the chapter and then Ryoko randomly passed out. The joys of being a pantster.**

 **Now, notes.**

 **There! Explanation for a male with a Summon! I did not break my own rules. If it wasn't clear enough, female-exclusive contracts are with _spirits_ or groups of them, while otherworldly beings can form contracts with just about everyone they want. It's all in the fine print.**

 **Yes, Ryoko was having dirty thoughts before Fae came in. And yes, the little Manakete is learning to set stuff on fire first. They don't have much time to teach her offensive magic, and fire can be dealt with more easily than electrocution or a massive gash in someone's stomach from a wind blade.**

 **Those four spells are all original, by the way, and I came up with them on the spot as I was trying to figure out something to keep at bay half an army (mostly because the other half army is deserting). Thus more massively OP spells were created.**

 **I am fully aware of what I wrote once Ryoko jumps into battle. It's intentional. Until now, she had remained into Child form when transformed because most of her power went into the Seal. Imagine that.**

 **The communication necklace has a purpose beyond letting my characters fight and make strategies, though you won't see it in-universe for a while unless you see the side-story in Family Life whenever I get around to posting it.**

 **The final section... well, firstly, I think that Aversa _is_ the type to hide a medallion _there_ , especially if important. Secondly, those 'spells' were merely Ryoko using all the accumulated energy from her Dragon spells to imbue magic into her very words. Overpowered, yes, but it drains her, as you can see.**

 **I got nothing more to say other than that if you have some pairings you want to see, apart from Virion's, tell me and I'll keep it in mind.**

 **Bye~!**


	28. Renewed Resolve

**Well, this is it. One or two more chapters left in this story arc.**

 **Once I'm done, I will take some time off updating and write ahead a few chapters for the next arc. Speaking of updates, I may not be able to make the next update on time, as I'm going on vacation a week from now and I don't want to rush things. It all depends on how the last days of school go.**

 **Other than that, special thanks to Hyperninja39 for following!**

 **If anyone has any suggestions of possible pairings, let me know, please.**

 **Well, enjoy the chapter, and leave me a review!**

* * *

 _ **Fire Emblem: Dragon's Claw**_

 **~ Chapter 26 ~**

 **Renewed Resolve**

Ryoko moaned pitifully as she worked on her pile of paperwork.

Levi came in with more paperwork, causing her to moan again.

"Don't worry." He told her, "It's mine."

He promptly found somewhere to sit near her and started working.

"You alright?" he asked concernedly.

"Noooo…" Ryoko replied with a groan, "'M drowning…. Too much work…."

Levi chuckled, "As soon as the boss man and 'Ren get up off their depressed asses, we're dumping everything on _them_."

Ryoko nodded, slumping over the papers, yawning.

"Are you alright?" he questioned carefully, "You seem exhausted, and you're eating more than usual."

His reply was a nigh incomprehensible grumble that loosely translated to, 'How would you know? You're never here that long.'

"I know because I talk to the healers during checkups." He told her.

"Unfair…" she complained, "Sho, Sho unfair…."

"Answer the question, please." He pressed.

"Fine…" Ryoko replied, "Just tired…. Hate mornings. They're dizzy."

Levi sighed. His partner almost behaved like that one guy he had met who was trying to get off his addiction to some herbs.

Almost, because she was only this miserable when doing paperwork or in the mornings, from what he gathered.

Still, he worried about her.

He didn't want the stress getting to her now. She was the only thing keeping the war from doing more damage than it already was.

Besides if Ryoko died… he didn't even want to think of what he'd do.

Hearing her soft snores, he sighed.

Looking up, he saw Gaius standing on the doorway.

Sighing again, this time in resignation, he left a note on the desk with an apology and cast a warming spell on her cloak.

Levi really hated that he couldn't be with his beloved, but he was needed in gathering information with the spies.

.

Verna carefully went through her forms with her short sword.

The past weeks had been exhausting.

She had been ferrying information between the various spy teams, Fort Ravenshear and Ferox.

She was lucky to be able to stay on the ground two days per week until now. From tomorrow, Frau would take her place while Verna would stay to defend the Fort.

Mather was needed here full time, especially now that her bow skills had improved.

Speaking of bows, the azure-haired woman was practicing with Virion and Syrenne on some wall where targets had been hanged.

Without her Pegasus, Syrenne had to fight on the ground most of the time, but she had previous experience with hunting and once she could handle war bows reliably she got a couple of turns with the archers on the walls they had erected on the Fort's perimeter.

The woman was tall, muscular and somewhat crass. She was the youngest daughter of a half-Plegian merchant, her naturally dark skin proof of that heritage, and had begun her training right as the previous war ended. She kept her dark brown hair at just below her shoulders in dreadlocks and out of the way, proudly displaying the numerous scars she had gained on her face before retiring from active duty to train the new recruits, including the one that had nearly cost her one of her admittedly beautiful olive eyes.

From what Verna heard, the woman's well-justified paranoia had prevented a few disasters and she was considering returning to active duty.

Frau was helping Thite, who had been a new recruit barely out of basic training when Gangrel attacked Ylisstol.

Despite this, Thite was still cheerful and a massive troublemaker, especially when she worked with Fae and Nowi.

They let her be most of the time, both for morale and because it taught her magic and stealth and made her run away really fast if some victim didn't appreciate her latest prank.

The blond's hair was a mess of curls that she somehow managed to get into a pair of low twin tails, while her eyes reminded Verna of honey.

In another corner there were a group of soldiers running through drills with their spears, led by Yuno.

Yuno was a beauty with long, silky black hair, dark blue eyes and pale skin who led the Redwings before the attack. She had a grandmother from Valm's nobility, the state of Honsaki if she recalled correctly, and her distant relatives had tried to make her a spy for them. The woman had refused quite vocally, though she was rumored to use her connections to aid Ylissean spies in Valm.

Among the drilling soldiers there was also a pair of sisters, Miisha from the Redwings and her younger sister Karin, from the Skywings. They both had light brown hair and chocolate eyes, though Miisha's hair went to her mid-back and Karin kept hers to her shoulder-blades.

The last of the rescued Pegasus Knights was Clair, a no-nonsense woman a few years older than Ryoko with dark red hair and black eyes, formerly of the Skywings, who was sparring with Fae's bodyguard— Longinus.

The Manakete in question was currently being instructed by Ryoko on the use of her daggers in one of the Dragon's rare moments free of paperwork.

On another side of the courtyard, far from the others, was a group of aspiring mages training, while Kynthelieg was nearby lecturing two soldiers on the basics of staff use.

All considered, today was a rather peaceful day.

There were no alerts, the weather was good, they weren't doing stamina exercises and nobody had blown up anything important.

Verna let herself enjoy the feeling, but forced herself to stay focused, knowing perfectly that this could change at any moment.

Yes, for now most of those patrolling had already gotten the day off or were Ryoko's Horde, but everyone would be on the battlefield as soon as Aversa or Gangrel and their forces were spotted.

Just two more weeks, she reminded herself.

Two more weeks before the reinforcements came.

Soldiers were already deserting the Plegian forces— some having even contacted Levi, Gaius or Nowi in order to do so.

If they managed to force Aversa to retreat, they would have a chance.

.

Sumia bit her lip nervously as she re-read Ryoko's letter.

She had asked the Dragon for some advice in how to help Chrom and Daraen, because, honestly, she didn't know much on how to deal with people besides healing.

She had thought of the Pegasus Knights' Commander and that she often said that a good slap was a good way to snap people out of their thoughts when they were not paying attention, and Ryoko had agreed.

Still, Sumia didn't want to get in trouble with Frederick for it, which was the reason of her nervousness.

Ryoko was, after all, a known prankster and had a very low tolerance for idiocy, so Sumia was debating asking someone else for confirmation.

With a sigh, she folded the letter and put it on her desk, before marching out of the room to find Tharja and Chrom.

She had a message to deliver and a captain to 'slap', after all.

.

Tharja muttered irritably to herself, having lost her beloved when he had gone to the baths hours ago.

His foolishness was starting to annoy her, in all honesty.

They were in the middle of war, and he was wallowing in his own pity.

So she could forgive Ryoko for suggesting cursing Daraen with one of the nastier prank hexes to get him to work if the scheme she and Sumia had devised did not work.

He had caught her following him (as per her orders) and he acted a little more like a person than before ever since.

Maybe shocking him would work all the way rather than partially.

She was also nearly certain that Sumia was lurking nearby, as Chrom was currently away, and was going to use that 'Recording Tome' of the Anna woman to catch his reaction and spread it around as retribution for the headaches he caused.

Tharja had consented to it only because she would be recording Sumia slapping the prince, though considering the woman's smile she rather doubted it would be an actual slap.

It would be good entertainment, if nothing else.

She bumped into someone just as she was entering the courtyard.

"Why good day, Daraen!" she exclaimed as chipper as she could manage to be, "How fare you? Enjoying this good weather while it lasts?"

Daraen blinked, "…Tharja? What are you doing?"

The Dark Mage feigned surprise, "What, me? Ho ho! Whatever do you mean? Just a normal greeting on a typical day. Why? Are you concerned for my welfare, good sir?"

He shifted nervously in response, "I… suppose, in a way."

"You _are_!" she exclaimed with forced excitement, "How sweeeeeeeeet!"

"I'm more concerned about whatever you're planning for me." The tactician muttered.

"Of course I have a plan for you, silly-billy!" Tharja fake-gushed, "Now close your eyes, and get ready for…" she took out an object wrapped in cloth, "a slice of liver-and-eel pie! That's your favorite, correct? Oh, I do so adore baking…."

That last part she said with a completely flat tone, as if she was reciting a script.

In a way, the Dark Mage supposed she _was_. 'Normal' was not something that was commonly associated with her kind of people.

Daraen looked entirely unconvinced, "Are you _sure_ you're all right, Tharja? You didn't eat anything strange, did you? Miscast a hex? Hit your head on a rock?"

She very, _very_ nearly smirked triumphantly. Finally, a reaction!

Well, one that had genuine emotion, in any case.

Instead, Tharja made a poor imitation of some noble lady's laugh, "Oh ho ho, goodness me! Such an imagination you have, good sir. I'm sure I wouldn't know anything about anything strange, much less eat it! Just a typical day for a typical girl here."

"This is about our last conversation, isn't it?" Daraen asked, deadpanning.

"Don't be silly." Tharja dismissed his concerns, trying to hand him her pie, "Now have some pie."

Damn it, she had worked so hard on that recipe! If he was going to be an ingrate about it, he should at the very least taste it beforehand!

"Look, I don't even w—"

She shoved the slice of pie into his mouth, staring expectantly.

Slowly, he munched on it and swallowed.

He grinned stupidly, "Skies, that's delicious."

"Oh, huzzah!" Tharja exclaimed happily, "I've been working on the recipe every day!"

Daraen's smile fell immediately, and he backed away from her warily, "A-Actually… can you please stop that? It's getting really creepy coming from you."

Tharja's fake smile dropped immediately, "You done being depressed, then?"

"Y-Yeah." He replied, "Done."

A cold breeze blew through the area, making her shiver slightly.

Daraen shrugged off his coat, putting it on her shoulders, "You should really wear a cloak outside. You'll get sick otherwise, you know?"

Tharja giggled to herself, _'My love is concerned about my health!'_

He sighed, "I like you better like this. Thinking of you as 'typically normal' is very, very unsettling."

The black-haired Plegian smiled happily.

She knew she could manage to bring him out of depression without need for hexes.

Speaking of….

"Say, have you been introduced to 'The Game' yet?" she questioned.

"What game?" he asked warily.

Tharja's smirk was not meant to be reassuring, "Why, Humiliate-Everyone-With-Annoying-Hexes-And-Curses-While-Killing-Everyone-Who-Gets-Too-Close, of course! It's a common game among dark mages and Shadowgifted."

Daraen groaned, "I knew those two didn't come up with it."

.

In one of her rare moments of free time, Ryoko went flying with Fae outside the tiny boundaries of her Territory.

Speaking of, she would have to take it down as soon as she had the chance to vacate Ravenshear Fort.

The two Dragons relished in the few minutes of relative freedom.

The siege was starting to take its toll on everyone.

Just one more week.

The reinforcements would be coming in soon, and among them there would be Daraen and Tharja. Those two thousand men would drive off the damned Risen army that had been harassing them all.

One more week, and the rumors they had planted around the country would finally be taken as the truth they were even by the higher ranks of the Plegian Army.

Aversa had tried to get past her defenses multiple times, but they all failed, and every time she saw less and less human soldiers than they left.

One more week, and everyone would be together again.

Azura landed quietly behind some rock near the flower field they had been aiming for, letting the two Dragonkin dismount.

Fae hummed a song as she looked at the various herbs, picking some up as she went and putting them in a basket she had brought with her.

Ryoko sat on the edge of the closest cliff, and closed her eyes, focusing on her Adult Dragon Form, trying to understand all its little quirks.

It was slow progress.

To do it properly, one needed most of their magic, leaving only enough for automatic defenses available.

Ryoko was already constrained by the Seal, but she also had the two Hordes, a Territory and her other spells to consider, mainly the one to properly focus her vision.

Using glasses in close battle was just an invitation for trouble, after all, and they needed to be ready to haul ass to Ravenshear at a moment's notice, weapons drawn.

Still, she was stubborn enough to get on her age group's level even in the middle of war.

Escorts and ritual chambers were for sissies.

She would damn well manage to figure out her Specialization and gain her final form well before thirty like all other Dragons!

Still, the first step was to get to know the base form on which she would build on her strength.

She was getting there, if slowly.

For all that she sometimes forgot about being a Dragon, she was well aware of her body's limits, something that had been necessary for her to survive in her early years.

Slowly, her hair became red.

The magic focused on the Dragon Mask in her lap, feeling out the changes it had gone through now that she had her Adult form.

Now that she thought about it, she should probably get Fae started on actively using her Dragonstone once the Manakete could cast Arc-level spells.

Ryoko was really enjoying the chance to relax somewhere where the only sounds were the wind and the rustling grass.

The only thing that interrupted it was Fae's soft footsteps when she occasionally moved.

Her eyes snapped open.

Wingbeats.

"Fae." She whispered, "Hide."

Hopefully the Manakete heard her.

Aversa's black Pegasus landed, the woman on its back.

Ryoko activated the Dragon Mask and let it slowly change her to Half form, lowering herself into the thick grass.

She cursed mentally.

.

"Do you have any ideas, oaf?" Flavia asked irritably.

She already felt like this meeting was going to be a stressful one, and they hadn't even started.

Basilio shrugged, "Don't look at me. I'm not in charge."

The Khan huffed, "I picked a damn fine time to regain the full throne…."

"…It's my fault…." Chrom muttered miserably.

Daraen resisted the urge to take the blame, well aware that Tharja had orders to hit him with stinging hexes if he tried to.

Instead, he sat back and watched the show.

Sumia marched over to Chrom, her hand in a fist….

"OW!"

"Stop blaming yourself, Captain!" the Pegasus Knight shouted, "You did nothing wrong!"

"She did it for me, Sumia." he rebutted, a haunted look in his eyes, "So that I wouldn't have to live with the guilt of either choice, she chose for me. She sacrificed herself rather than give up what could one day save her people…."

"There was nothing any of us could have done." Sumia reminded him, "Not even Ryoko."

"Gods, I was just so powerless!" he whined.

This time, it was Daraen who punched him.

"So stop wallowing in your own pity and do something about it!" he snapped, "While we're sitting here on our asses, the Dragonwings are under siege with most of our troops!"

"And then what?" Chrom demanded, "What can we even do?"

"SHUT UP!" Daraen roared, "I was powerless too, remember? We both were. And yes, alone, I don't think either one of us is half the person your sister was. But together… maybe we can be something more. If you fall, I'll be there to pull you back up. When you fight for your sister's ideals, I'll be by your side. You don't have to become your sister, you know. You can still be true to yourself. You just have to give people hope in whatever way you can."

The Ylissean prince was stunned into silence.

"And what if I can't?" he questioned quietly, "What if I'm not worthy of her ideals? Daraen, what if I drag you down with me?"

"If you aren't worthy, you'll keep at it until you are." The tactician replied, "Skies know you're stubborn enough. And if we both fall down, well, that's what friends are for, isn't it? And, right now, those friends need our help."

Chrom nodded, "Y-You're right. Let's go rescue them."

"Now we're talking!" Flavia shouted exuberantly, "Mount up, everyone! We're off to Fort Ravenshear post-haste! Let's kick Plegian arse!"

Daraen shook his head at her antics, but she didn't care at this point.

There were better things to do.

Like packing her best battle ax and some food.

.

"Damn that blasted Wyvern Rider." Aversa muttered, "That brat has been getting in our way far too much already. If only I could take down that stupid barrier of hers…."

Ryoko pressed herself closer to the ground, slowing her breathing as much as she could on instinct.

"The only way would be for something on the same level as a damned Dragon to attack it, but there's nothing that can do it!" the white-haired woman shook her head irritably, "It won't matter. The brat is certainly tired. She won't last another large-scale attack."

There were a few seconds of silence, during which the woman moved closer to her position.

Ryoko held her breath.

"I'll just have to make sure of it and poison the river, then." The woman decided, "It's not as if it goes anywhere other than the Lake of Despair."

Fae whimpered in fear.

Aversa's attention snapped onto the source of the sound, " **Forblaze!** "

"Svalinn!"

Fae screamed in fright as the spell was stopped just short of her, scrambling to her feet.

"Run!" Ryoko commanded, punching the woman only to have the blow blocked.

She grabbed the woman's hand and threw her on the ground.

Fae did not move, watching her with eyes wide with fear.

"Take those herbs and _go_!" Ryoko commanded, "Now! That's an order!"

She quickly shot a series of stunning spells at Aversa, finally paralyzing her with an overcharged Spark.

The Dragon quickly relieved her of whatever she was carrying besides a knife, stunned her Pegasus and stole the rest of her supplies.

Then she took out of her own pouches a tiny vial with a swirling orange liquid, threw it on the ground and jumped off the nearest cliff, flying off.

She left the field to burn in holy fire, not once looking back as she flew to a far off cave, burned Aversa's stuff and returned to Fort Ravenshear.

.

Seeing the Risen army approach Fort Ravenshear four days later had Ryoko cursing in all of the twenty languages she had learned over her life, knowing that Aversa had, somehow, survived the fire.

On the bright side, though, Ryoko had been able to drop her Territory and recover her magic a bit more, as Levi's own personal spell was similar to hers, if based more around the concept of Hellfire rather than thunder-elemental siege spells.

Also, having Nowi around on a permanent basis meant that they could now have the two Manakete, who didn't need to use magic as often, alternate between sustaining the other two spells, leaving the blue-haired Dragon free to leave minor but annoying traps laying around the grounds.

"We'll never make it at this rate." Levi despaired, "We won't last a day like this."

The reason for the rather pessimistic thoughts was a very angry and possessed Aversa was assaulting the anti-magic portion of the Territory with Forsaken magic, and powerful one to boot.

"We need Daraen." Cordelia declared, "No offense, Ree, but…"

"I'm too passive for it to work." Ryoko continued for the redhead, "I know that. It's a good battle style, but as a strategy it's only good for holding ground."

"Lady Ryoko makes a good point," Mathias agreed, "As an individual, these tactics conserve her energy and make her a formidable opponent, but it does not work in a large scale. We need an experienced tactician to push back the enemy forces."

Levi nodded, "Exactly. Ryoko did well in stalling the Plegian until our commanders could return, but we can't last much longer without risking a repeat of the previous war."

Ryoko paled, "Blood River."

Everyone, with the exception of Fae and Nowi, nodded darkly at that.

What the short woman had referred to was the Battle of Blood River, a massive battle near the end of the War which had very nearly spelled defeat for the Ylisseans holding Fort Ravenshear, in which Mist River had been said to have turned red with the blood of the fallen.

It was only the actions of a small group of brave men, who had managed to bring extra tomes and weapons to the Ylissean forces, that they managed to force the Plegians into retreat and regain momentum.

Those had been the darker years, where Ryoko had vague memories of _fearrunspellseverywherehideitsnotsafe_ and little more.

Her father had spoken of it little in her history lessons, his face darkening as he spoke of it in vague terms. When she had been older, she had researched it for herself, and understood why her father had kept it from her when she had trouble sleeping from nightmares.

"Who goes?" Ryoko asked, "We need to bring Daraen here as soon as possible. Possibly Chrom, too."

Everyone turned to stare at her.

"No." Ryoko said, disbelieving, "No way. What about the Territory? What about—"

"Go." Fae told her, "Fae can handle herself. Everyone needs Daraen here. You're the fastest one, Ryoko."

"What if they attack while I'm not here?" Ryoko questioned.

"We'll defend ourselves." Levi reassured her, "My personal spell can get rather… vicious… when someone tries to break it. We can hold on long enough for our tactician to get here."

Reluctantly, slowly, Ryoko left the meeting room, walking briskly towards the bridge between the towers.

She considered, briefly, calling Azura.

She discarded the idea immediately. Speed was the most important thing.

Instead, she shifted into Half form, letting the Mask cover her whole body until the only pieces of clothing left on her were her belt and her scarf, and jumped, Flashing herself outside the Territory as far as she could see.

She nearly fell when she returned to normal speed, but managed to regain her balance in time to keep all the momentum she had gained by Flashing.

Reaching Daraen's position took very little, merely an hour.

"Daraen!" she called while landing.

"Ryoko!" Flavia said happily, "It's been a while! You know I'll get you back for that little trick, right?"

"Later." Ryoko snapped back, "Aversa is getting desperate. We need Daraen to push her back significantly and force her to back the hell off."

"That bad?" Daraen asked, grimacing, making Flavia jump slightly.

"Yes." Ryoko confirmed, "I'll Flash you there."

"How many can you bring with you?" the tactician questioned, already working on strategies.

She thought about it, "Five. Three if you bring Zeiss and Sumia with her partner. Anything more and I'll risk shattering the Territory I built at the Fort."

She got a raised eyebrow in response, "I thought you handed it off to Levi and the girls?"

"I did." She confirmed, "But it just means that they control its effect. As its creator, coming in with a heavily disrupted signature will make it explode. Horribly."

"Cheery." Flavia commented dryly.

"What can you tell me?" Daraen asked, trying to get a feel of what he would be working with.

"We set up an anti-aerial defense on the towers." Ryoko explained, "There's a trebuchet we use sometimes, when we have ammunition. The bulk of the fighting will be done at the edges of the Territory— this time it's full of traps to bog down the enemy —or just outside. We are about a thousand total, including my two Hordes, only the Dragonwings fliers. We have ten healers inside and about sixty-seventy fighters who are also field healers, a hundred more can use staves. A little less than eight hundred of us can use battle spells, fifty of which are on the wall with the archers, three are healers and one is Fae."

"What about the enemy?" he questioned, "What are we expecting?"

"Mainly Risen." Was the quick reply, "They normally outnumber us two to one, but Aversa is desperate, she'll summon as many as she can handle, possibly even more. She has a lot of fliers, but the ground forces change far too often to really say. Aversa has powerful tomes— one of which is a Dragon-slaying spell, Forblaze, and another creates powerful winds. I haven't seen her use Balberith yet, but I saw the tome."

Daraen frowned. "It'll be tough."

Ryoko nodded grimly.

They walked in silence for a few minutes.

"Get ready." Daraen ordered, "We're returning to the fort as soon as I get Sumia."

Ryoko nodded, "Move off to the side, I need to focus for it."

.

Chrom stood in the middle of the gathered crowd, waiting for Ryoko's speech.

The battle had been tough.

When he had arrived, flanking the Risen army, it had been a massive mess.

There were weapons scattered everywhere, people picking up those weapons and throwing them charged with magic, and spellfire being flung about by both sides.

The Dragonwings were harassing the enemy's flying units, Daraen barking orders whenever he was low enough for his voice to be heard and Ryoko or Levi relaying them when he wasn't.

Aversa summoned more Risen, focused solely on Ryoko's Wing.

For a moment, he was back at the castle.

For a single, horrible, terrifying moment, he was watching as first the Pegasus Knights and then his sister fell to the ground.

Then, Ryoko jumped, changing into an unfamiliar (but still silver) Dragon, and flew right through the arrows, not even flinching, before creating a massive thunderstorm right on top of them, also catching and shattering any arrow that had flown past her.

A moment later, she swiftly returned to the others.

The rest of the battle was a blur, but they had managed to force Aversa to retreat.

"SOLDIERS!" Ryoko roared, "Today, we have survived! Today, we managed to push back the enemy! Today… the Siege of Ravenshear… is no more!"

The gathered soldiers all cheered loudly, while Azura screeched.

"BUT!" she continued, interrupting the cheers, "There is still work to be done. Houses need to be rebuilt, wounds need healing, bandits have to be taken care of…. However, before that, there is one more foe to defeat, one more battle to be fought. The Mad King Gangrel is still out there. He won't stop until Ylisse is in flames, maybe not even then."

She sighed, "As most of you know, as of today I will be regaining command exclusively of the Dragonwings, rather than a small army. We have fought long. The injured will be sent back to Regna Ferox to recover, and then they will be returned home. Some of you have also been deeply affected by the war. Of you, I ask only one more battle. If you feel that you cannot give it, make it be known now."

Surprisingly, no hands were raised, no mutterings were heard.

From what the prince had heard, Kynthelieg had been one of the worst hit by the events at the castle.

"Thank you all." Ryoko said, "Get some rest, everyone. We'll be leaving soon. Shepherds, Dragonwings, come to the meeting room."

The soldiers dispersed, everyone going their own way.

Less than half an hour later, everyone was gathered in the meeting room, including the six Pegasus Knights who had been rescued from the massacre.

They all stared at Chrom expectantly.

"Well, fearless leader?" Levi prompted with a smile, "Don't you have something to say?"

Chrom looked down for a moment, ashamed of himself.

"I'm sorry, everyone." He said, "I've been a terrible commander these last few months, lost in my own grief as I was."

He sighed, "I can't promise that it won't happen ever again. Exalted blood or not, I am still just a man. I care for all my men and women, and I will grieve should any of you die. That day, I was powerless to do anything but watch. I couldn't do anything but watch as Emm sacrificed herself for us, as she passed the task to make Ylisse peaceful to me."

His gaze steeled with determination, "I am not my sister. I still wonder if I'm worthy of her ideals…. But I feel that, with all of you by my side, I can be, someday."

"That's right!" Nowi shouted, interrupting him, "I wouldn't even be here if not for you."

Tharja scoffed, "You gave me your trust, and now you have mine. …For the time being."

"Were you unworthy, I would have left long ago." Lon'qu told him gruffly.

Virion smiled, "It took great courage and charisma to unite all of us. You aren't as lacking of them as you might think."

"Yeah!" Ricken exclaimed, "We all look up to you! You're like a hero to us."

"We made it this far thanks to Daraen." Levi said, "But remember that we wouldn't have even started without you bringing us together, Chrom."

The Ylissean prince nodded resolutely, "Thank you, everyone. I will treasure your words. My Shepherds… Dragonwings… my friends…. There is much to be done. Gangrel needs to be stopped before he has the continent burn in the fires of war. Will you help me on this quest?"

"You can count me in!" Lissa volunteered immediately, "I've had enough of sitting around, it's time to start punching stuff!"

"Hear hear, darling!" Maribelle agreed, "Our people have suffered enough."

"Gladly would I fight and die for House Ylisse!" Stahl declared firmly.

"Gladly would I fight and _kill_ those dastards for House Ylisse!" Sully stated proudly.

"Gregor help you for free!" the mercenary said.

Fae grinned at Chrom, "Fae will help as much as Fae can."

The six rescued Pegasus Knights looked at each other for a second.

"We may not be of much help." Syrenne spoke for them all, "But we will fight with you, for all our sisters."

"I'll make them taste my arrows." Mather said ferociously.

"We're in this, no matter what." Verna affirmed.

"Though candy would be nice to have, too." Gaius piped in jokingly.

"I-I will fight with you!" Frau declared.

Cordelia raised her lance, "For Ylisse!"

"Our hearts echo yours, sire." Libra said calmly.

"Teach is here and class is in session!" Vaike shouted loudly.

Kellam waved, "I'm with you, too!"

"I will be the unbreakable shield by your side!" Sumia promised.

Panne smirked, "Your sister earned my respect. The last Taguel shall champion her."

"I once said I would fight for you." Ryoko said, "A minor setback won't have me going back on my word."

Chrom smiled, "Thank you all. Truly. You honor me with your fealty. I will not falter again. We shall answer this outrage! The Mad King must be stopped!"

A good number of those gathered cheered loudly.

"Right!" Flavia snouted, "It's high time for ol' Gangrel to get a dose of his own Vulnerary! The Feroxi will be happy to teach the madman a thing or two."

Basilio barked in laughter, "You young folk— your passions run so hot! If I had any gray hairs, you would've singed 'em right off. You kiddies can count me in!"

"I'd like to go, too, if I may." A beautiful young pink-haired lady said shyly, "The Exalt did me a kindness once."

Chrom frowned in confusion, "She did?"

The woman, Olivia, if he recalled correctly, shifted nervously, "Y-yes, sire. It would honor me to have a part in giving her justice! Although all I can do is dance…. And I'm not so skilled at that, if we're being honest…."

Basilio scoffed at that, "She's too modest! Olivia is a Feroxi treasure. You won't meet a finer dancer in all the realms! Her moves inspire soldiers to work twice as hard! You'd do well to bring her along, Commander."

The Ylissean prince raised an eyebrow at that, "'Commander'? What happened to 'boy'?"

The former reigning Khan waved his hand dismissively, "You've earned your way up from that name, I think."

He became serious again, "Now, where were we? Oh yes! I was just about to start cracking skulls! Flavia will lead me and the other Feroxi in a head-on assault. That should buy you enough time to take down Gangrel. Hear that, boy? You get the fun part!"

"All right, enough talk. It's time to raise some hell!" Flavia shouted impatiently.

Chrom nodded, "Right."

"Better get ready then." Levi said, "Gangrel might try to attack us while we're still licking our wounds, even with Aversa's siege."

Ryoko's hands sparked with magic as she bared her teeth, "Let him _try_."

* * *

 **And with that moment of awesomeness, I end this chapter.**

 **Now, as for the notes. This is gonna take a while, there's a lot to say...**

 **First, while Ryoko is NOT a morning person, there's more to her dizziness than just long hours. Can you guess what it is?**

 **For some reason, I feel the need to say that Honsaki is, as far as I know, a completely original location, and that the six new girls (i.e. Syrenne, Yuno, Thite, Miisha, Karin and Clair) are OCs and are thus mine. You'll see them again quite a few times in the future.**

 **Next, Tharja and Daraen's B-Support. While I _do_ like the original version, I felt as if in this case it would work out much differently, especially considering the circumstances are a lot different. And, yes, Sumia was recording Daraen's reaction for future blackmail. Also, 'The Game' makes a small comeback!**

 **Before anyone asks, yes, Ryoko has been fighting as a kiddie Dragon until about early Chapter 20. Can you imagine how much damage she can do now that she has tougher scales, even more power and greater power-efficiency while transforming? Worry not, she'll reach the next level in power and forget about it shortly after unless it's actually needed.**

 **Actually, looking back on it now, a good portion of this chapter has parts of the game's Chapter 10 post-battle dialogue in it. Different, yes, beacuse male Robin never punches Chrom in the game. Still, I felt it fitting to keep the pieces of the scene where Chrom gets his head straight and brings the fight to Gangrel.**

 **I have nothing much to say about Aversa not poisoning the river earlier except that I was an idiot and forgot about the possibility until now- I mean, she was too angry to think about it. Yes, that's definitively it.**

 **Yes, Ryoko does know twenty languages. She's only fluent in a couple, though. Also, I'm working off the assumption that everyone speaks a common language that had been introduced to make trading easier.**

 **Finally, I had Ryoko give a final speech before returning command to Chrom mainly to raise morale and keep everyone together.**

 **The final scene with the Shepherds was something I simply could NOT take out, though I _did_ give almost everyone a line in there.**

 **Well, I think that's everything. Let me know what you think!**


	29. The Mad King

**Well, this is it. The long-awaited battle against Gangrel. I know it's short. I wrote it in a week.**

 **And, somehow, it feels right to close things up here. Rest assured, I won't abandon this here. There's still much to be done and resolved. There's still questions to answer and subplots to close.**

 **However, I will take a break from regular updates until I figure out how to handle the next arc. Until then, I will only update Family Life with some short stories. Possibly.**

 **Also, thanks to the Guest reviewer who pointed out a minor error in the chapter Fading Lights. I'll fix it once I start the new arc. And thanks to Kweh Viola for favoriting and following the story!**

 **And, finally, thanks to all of you who read up to this point.**

* * *

 _ **Fire Emblem: Dragon's Claw**_

 **~ Chapter 27 ~**

 **The Mad King**

Frederick came into the room, shooting a suspicious glance at Ryoko.

The blue-haired Dragon was sitting to the side, munching on some fruit, looking completely exhausted.

She met his gaze, raising an eyebrow in questioning.

"So?" she inquired eagerly, "Do you have news? Is my plan working?"

"I have no idea of what you are referring to." Frederick replied calmly, "I bring a report from Khan Flavia's spies. The Plegian army is in disarray."

The woman smirked triumphantly.

Prince Chrom, oblivious to this, blinked, "What do you mean? In disarray _how_?"

"It seems as if many of their soldiers are opposed to further fighting, milord," Frederick reported, "There has been infighting, desertion…"

"YES!" Ryoko cried, "It fucking worked!"

"Please, explain yourself, Lady Ryoko." The Great Knight requested firmly.

"I didn't just have the spies gather information, you know?" she told him, "A few of them posed in bars as Plegian soldiers who witnessed the aftermath of _That_."

It didn't take a genius to figure out what she was referring to.

"They spread around very true and easily confirmed rumors," she continued with a shudder, "Gangrel didn't do himself any favors with the massacre, and even less with leaving everything on display. Those rumors, combined with Mustafa's stories, the threats to families of ranking officers, and the blatant employ of Risen and the Grimeal, were helped spread through the continent."

"The soldiers who heard Lady Emmeryn's speech did the rest for us." Levi piped in, "Gangrel was executing soldiers, last I heard."

"Yes." Frederick confirmed gravely, "The Mad King is trying to stamp out mutiny and the dissenters by force, but with little success. Only few remain loyal to him, while the rest of the army has all but collapsed."

Ryoko smiled softly, "Leave it to Lady Emerina to nearly end a war without even fighting…. I had lost hope it could be even possible."

"Yes, Lady Ryoko." The Great Knight nodded, "The report says Gangrel's men chant her name as they abandon the field. Her words, and her sacrifice, have made her a folk hero of sorts."

The prince looked down. "Emmeryn… Why did it take me so long to understand? She believed all people desire peace. She knew, deep down, the Plegians wanted it, too. It just took her to bring it to the surface."

Daraen smiled.

"Well, I hope she sees us put an end to Gangrel's madness." Levi commented. "By this time tomorrow, the war will be no more."

From there, the meeting went on to matters such as team positions and strategies, and Ryoko got up.

"Well, I'll leave you all to your strategies!" she said, "I'm off to get the Dragonwings ready."

Without waiting for an acknowledgment, she left the room.

"If you'll excuse me, milord, sir Daraen, sir Levi." Frederick said before following her.

Catching up with Ryoko was a matter of little effort, as she was walking slowly for once and not jumping off any balconies or staircases as she was known to do because 'it was faster this way'.

"Are you feeling well, Lady Ryoko?" he inquired.

The woman hummed noncommittally.

"You have been tired all the time, you eat twice as much as usual— even things you seemingly cannot stand, —and I can tell you feel nauseous in the mornings." He told her bluntly.

"I can fight." She stated, "I've fought in worse condition. There was this one time I almost lost my right arm to an arrow."

With how fast she changed her moods, Frederick wouldn't have been surprised if it was her time of the month.

"Regardless, you should see a healer." He advised.

"I'm fine," she insisted stubbornly, "A couple of missed periods and some heat won't keep me down."

 _'Missed periods?'_ he thought to himself.

"That doesn't sound healthy…." He said aloud.

Ryoko waved her hand dismissively, "It's the stress."

Actually, considering everything, it was almost as if….

He blushed at the conclusion, "Pardon my bluntness, but are you gestating?"

"W-What!?"

She tripped and fell on her face.

"I asked if you were expecting." He repeated.

Ryoko slowly stood up, face the color of fire, "Wha— no! Ye—!"

She shook her head thoughtfully, "I actually don't know."

"All the more reason to go see a healer before the battle." Frederick told her, "I'm sure that Libra or Kynthelieg could spare a few minutes."

.

The remains of the Plegian army were marching towards their hiding spot at a calm and slow pace, preferring to hold their ground despite their apparent advantage.

The area, simply known as the Border Wastes, was bare of most of anything, but some creative positioning, brown cloaks, some abandoned forts and widespread illusions could easily hide the twelve Shepherds who would be participating in the mission and the Dragonwings, and the rest of the army to a lesser extent.

Daraen's latest bout of genius was inspired by the way Ryoko handled their initial retreat.

The Dragon in question had actually gone over the area with Levi last night and layered in a bunch of traps. The great majority of the hexes were mostly harmless, but very distracting if they went off on someone without warning.

Their army was given a temporary counter-hex to avoid accidentally activating the traps or being caught in them, so they only really affected Gangrel's forces.

This was the worst part. The waiting.

The Mad King had to believe that Chrom would be hanging back while they were actually approaching the man unnoticed.

When they got close enough… well, it was a good thing they had control of the skies and that Ryoko was up to Summoning a couple dozen Dragon Knights in an emergency.

It was a very good thing.

The two armies met about half an hour later.

Flavia and Basilio were doing a very admirable job in taking the attention of the greater bulk of the Plegian forces.

The hidden fighters waited in tense silence for their opening.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, came the signal.

"NOW!"

The Dragonwings took off in a blur, aiming straight for the enemy sorcerers.

Chrom and Lon'qu sprinted towards the Mad King, Kellam following close behind, while the rest of their fighters were protecting their two other mages as they cast spell after spell with little pause.

The two swordsmen easily avoided the bolts of lighting sent at them by Gangrel's blade, a Levin Sword.

That was no problem.

He was prepared for that.

Time spent dodging two Dragons made human attacks feel that much slower than they actually were, even magic.

Besides, he had a counter.

Ryoko swooped down and forced Gangrel's guards to back off in a hurry, while Lon'qu kept the rest busy with his new second blade.

Chrom gathered his magic as he had been taught, focusing it on his blade.

" **Aether!** "

His speed increased as he attacked first from above and then with a devastating charge.

His first blow was blocked, but not even an enchanted blade could have completely stopped the second.

Gangrel stumbled back, his clothes sporting a new slash in them.

"Why, good day, little princeling!" the madman taunted, "Still dreaming of your dear squashed sister?"

He blocked a blow, "No more talk, Gangrel." He avoided a thunderbolt, "Today you die, and peace returns to Ylisse and Plegia."

His opponent scoffed dramatically, "Pah! Such hypocrisy! You despise me, wretch!"

The madman was forced to jump back, "You want to cut me down!"

The moment Gangrel stopped he was met with the flat of Falchion's blade to the face, sending him tumbling to the sandy ground.

He picked himself up quickly, glaring.

"You don't know the first thing about peace!" he screamed, throwing a massive ball of thunder, "No man does!"

Chrom simply swung Falchion at the replicated spell, shattering it.

"I know more than you ever will." He replied calmly, parrying the next blow.

"More than me?" Gangrel snarled angrily, "More than ME?!"

The Pegian slashed wildly with his sword. "You ARE me!"

Chrom quickly backed up to avoid the blade.

"Life asks you a question, and you answer with blood!" the man screamed.

The Ylissean prince didn't rise to the obvious bait, forcing himself to keep calm and find an opening to exploit.

"Maybe you're right." He replied calmly, "I'll never be my sister. But at least I am not like you— a man who sows nothing but evil."

Another spell was slashed apart.

"Were I alone I might have gone mad with nothing but her words…." He continued.

He quickly moved into Gangrel's guard, managing to land a small scratch on his shoulder.

"However, I am not alone." Chrom's eyes were hard with determination, "On my path, I have friends and comrades who fight alongside me!"

"Are you done?" Gangrel spat out angrily.

He attempted to skewer Chrom with his sword, but it was a clumsy attempt. Clouded with rage as he was, the madman could not muster the finesse to create a thunder spear properly.

"May I vomit now?" he taunted, laughing, "My, what a flowery language!"

His blows became more focused now, and the Ylissean Prince was forced to take a blow from the Levin Sword's magic to avoid getting slashed.

"Men are beasts!" Gangrel stated, "Nothing more! We fight! We kill! We devour our prey! Beasts do not stand behind beasts, little prince…. They use each other only so long as it suits their own selfish purpose!"

Chrom took advantage of the pause to get back into his fighting stance.

 _'Focus,'_ he told himself, _'No rules. Just battle….'_

Ryoko's advice was much harder to follow than it had sounded at the time.

His battle was not just one of blades.

He could not afford to be careless.

He was fighting against sword and magic, with a man who could not be defeated by mere brute force.

He had to find a way to disarm him of the blade, he decided.

The man certainly carried other blades, but losing the enchanted sword would take out his ability to cast spells with it.

However, before that, he needed to get close to the madman.

"What's the matter, poor little princeling?" Gangrel taunted, "Did the truth stun you into silence? Are you s-s-scared? Gonna g—"

"SHUT UP!" Chrom shouted, charging, "Shut up!"

He changed directions at the last moment, suddenly grateful of dodge-the-Dragons exercises, and slashed at Gangrel from an angle.

"You!" the blade was parried, but he struck again, "Men like you are a festering wound!"

A ball of lighting sailed past his shoulder as he ducked, "You are poison! That's why your men left you! Because you turn against your own as much as you fight us!"

Finally, he managed to land a blow on the man's wrist, making him loosen the grip on his blade enough that he could knock it away.

"I will do what she could not!" Chrom declared, "I will end you, so that there can finally be peace!"

Gangrel drew two knives, but Chrom expected it and jumped to the side before he was stabbed.

"For Ylisse!" he shouted.

That was the signal.

Daraen swooped down low, jumping off Zeiss and casting Elwind on the Mad King as he landed.

The silver-haired tactician spotted the Levin Sword and quickly went to recover it, keeping Gangrel at bay with thunder spells whenever he wasn't being distracted by Chrom.

" **Roar, endless skies! Let your rage burn the earth! Arcthunder!** "

The spell, amplified through the Levin Sword, hit the Mad King's shoulder, its sheer power burning his clothes and skin before it dissipated.

Chrom pushed the advantage immediately, forcing the man back.

He jumped to the side to evade the knives, getting closer to Daraen.

Gangrel attacked wildly, not really focusing on either of them but rather whichever was closer at the moment.

Finally, it seemed as if the man made up his mind and wildly attacked Chrom, who barely had time to throw himself to the ground to avoid being stabbed in various places— all of them unpleasant.

There was a distinct lack of other attacks.

Looking up, Chrom found that it was because the madman was focusing on his tactician, who was getting forced back.

"Chrom!" he called.

He noticed the tome the silver-haired man was holding and understood.

He took a slightly unfamiliar stance, one that had been developed especially for this.

Daraen managed to get a moment to open the tome and cast.

" **Come forth, scorching flames! Turn all that is in your path to ash! Arcfire!** "

The spell barely missed Gangrel's head, only slightly singing his hair.

However, Chrom had already moved to intercept it.

Falchion easily caught the flames, focusing them.

" **Burning Slash!** " he shouted, releasing the energy in his blade.

The result was a massive diagonal stream of concentrated fire that turned the desert sand to glass instantly as it touched it before hitting Gangrel straight in the chest at great speed.

The madman was thrown to the ground by the sheer force of the attack, and this time it took him a few seconds before he rose to his feet.

The man's clothing was scorched and torn, his wounds bleeding heavily.

" **Consume everything, oh divine flames! Cleanse these fools of their sins! Valflame!** " Daraen cast, the flames hitting the Mad King head on.

Without leaving him any time to recover, Chrom rushed at him, stabbing Gangrel in the heart.

Above them, Ryoko, Levi and Nowi roared loudly.

" _ **Gangrel is dead!**_ " Levi shouted.

The men closest to the Mad King were the first to react, most of them tossing their blades to the ground.

Those who continued attacking were quickly stopped and, at Ryoko's insistence, searched for Grimeal medallions.

It didn't take long before a soldier reached Chrom, delivering news that the remaining Plegian forces had surrendered.

The Ylissean prince sent back the order to cease fighting immediately, which was hurried along by Fae and Azura offering the man a lift.

.

"Then it's finished." Flavia said, almost as if not believing her own words, "Once their messenger delivers our terms, that's it. We finally put an end to this bloody business."

Chrom gave a half-smile, "We've won… but somehow I don't feel like celebrating."

"Victory can be bitter as well as sweet, boy." Basilio told him, "It's good you learn that now."

The man nodded.

He could understand that.

With all that they lost, all the lives that would not see another day, the victory felt hollow.

Celebrating it would feel like he was spitting on all their graves.

"Regna Ferox lost many good soldiers today." Flavia said, snapping him out of his thoughts, "We need to see to our dead. Then it's time to attend to the living and rebuild our army."

"I'm sorry, Flavia." Chrom apologized, "Your sacrifice will not be forgotten. Ylisse will compensate your nation in whatever fashion—"

The reigning Khan raised an eyebrow, "Oh? Well in that case, how about you keep the Fire Emblem safe and lend me Ryoko once in a while and we'll call it even? Well, if she wants to, that is."

"Don't worry about the finances, boy." Basilio reassured him, "Reparations will fall to Plegia."

The blond warrior smiled widely at this, "I've seen their treasury— they can well afford it."

"Yes, and I pity the man who stands between Flavia and a full coffer." The West-Khan muttered under his breath.

"You'll have to remember that when she comes visit Ylisse." Daraen joked.

"Captain!" Sumia shouted, running towards them.

"Sumia?" Chrom said, slightly confused.

"You made it! You're safe!" she cried in relief, hugging him, "I'm so glad…."

"Someone get these two a room!" Flavia said.

On his part, Chrom was trying to gently pry the woman off him. She had a surprisingly strong grip for someone with that figure.

"You're… choking… me…." He tried to tell her.

"Are you hurt? Grazed?" the Pegasus Knight fussed, "You look exhausted!"

"Chrom?" his sister asked, "Say something!"

"Trying… to!" he replied.

Lissa nodded, entirely unconvinced, "Uh-huh. Flavia? Daraen? Maybe we should… you know."

Flavia smiled knowingly, "Carry on, lovebirds."

"Have fun!" Daraen called as he made a hasty retreat.

Finally, Sumia let him breathe.

Chrom took a few deep breaths to recover from being nearly chocked.

"I'm alright, Sumia," he reassured the woman now that he could breathe, "I got only a few scratches. But are _you_ al— come on, don't cry."

Sumia sniffled, "S-Sorry… it's just I…"

"No, don't apologize." He told her, "I've been so worried about everyone else lately…. My sister, our party, my people…. It feels nice to have someone worry about me. Especially someone who I…" he cut himself off, blushing, "I mean, someone so… so gifted with Pegasi."

He tried to hide his embarrassment. Even though he had been such a burden for her when he was mourning Emm, she still cared for him.

He had to admit, even if to himself, that he had come to care for her.

She had a unique beauty, even if she saw herself as plain-looking, and her grace in the air was awe-inspiring, even if she kept tripping when on the ground.

Maybe….

"You've suffered so much…." Sumia said, interrupting his thoughts.

"But many have suffered even more and died because of my actions." He protested, "Next to my sister's legacy, I feel I'm already a disappointment…."

"That's not true!" she denied, "Everyone fought so hard for you! Why would we all do that for a man we didn't believe in?"

"I see your point…." Chrom said with a smile, "Thanks, Sumia. You always help me see the… brighter side of things."

"To me, you're the brightest thing!" Sumia blurted out.

There was a moment of silence before Chrom blushed heavily.

The Pegasus Knight became redder than a tomato.

In that moment, Chrom made his choice.

"Sumia…." He said hesitantly.

"Yes?"

"I'm far from a perfect man, and I know you can do better." He told her, "But whenever you're close… you give me strength. So, what I want to ask is…."

He hesitated, "Will you be my wife?"

Sumia's eyes became watery.

"YES!" she said, "Yes, yes, Skies yes!"

It felt like a weight had been lifted off his chest at the reply.

"Oh, thank gods! I was worried for a second because…." He shook his head, fishing something out of his pocket, "Well, anyway…. This is for you."

"Y-your ring?" Sumia said, shocked, "But it bears the Ylissean crest! Chrom, I… I can't take this."

"Yes, you can." Chrom told her, "My parents had it made to celebrate my birth. They wanted me to give it to the woman I would spend my life with. Take it. Please. And know I will love you until the day I die."

"Capt—Chrom…." She corrected herself, smiling, "Thank you. I swear I will return that love to you a hundredfold!"

"Then I am a fortunate man." Chrom replied, "I'll need to ask for a bit of patience for the near future. My first duty must be to heal the scars of war and assume my role for the people. But then, we can begin our life together."

"I'll wait forever if I need to." Sumia told him, "It all still feels like a dream. So much pain surrounds us, and yet… I think this is the happiest day of my life."

"I feel the same way." He said, "I know together we can bring joy back to the royal palace. I'll do everything I can to make the castle a happy home for us… my love."

Sumia smiled, "My love."

.

"But milady, please!" the man pleaded.

"You know I can't, Sahan." Ryoko replied bluntly, "I can't afford to make myself a bigger target. The world can't afford me taking this risk now."

"Surely a guard—"

"No." She shot him down before he even could form his argument, "I am a Dragon. If something can kill a Dragon, it can also kill humans. I'm safer with the Shepherds, where I can travel."

"You could still travel even if you accept." Sahan tried to persuade her, "An alliance with Ylisse would benefit everyone in the continent, especially now."

"That's not the point." Ryoko told him, "You know how the Seal works. You're a Priest of Grimlok. If whatever is spawning the Risen— Aversa especially —knows my face, Grima will rise again. Don't forget that no matter who he was, he is now a Fallen One. Beside, I have a legacy to protect, now."

"Congratulations, milady." The man sighed, "So you will not reconsider?"

She shook her head, "I'm sorry, no. But I swear that if your next king starts making a mess or killing people, I _will_ intervene."

Sahan nodded, "That's all I can ask of you."

He handed her a book bag, "Still, I ask that you keep this safe."

Ryoko glanced inside and frowned.

"Why give me this?" she questioned.

"Because, by all rights, it _is_ yours." He replied easily, "Technically, I was merely returning it."

Knowing that this was not an argument that the old Priest would let her win, she sighed in resignation.

"Very well." She said, "If you wish, gather a squad of volunteers to help deal with the Risen and keep me updated on the situation both here and in Valm."

Sahan smiled serenely and bowed, "Stay safe, milady. Fair winds."

"Fair winds, Sahan." She replied, quickly turning and marching towards camp— and her tent, away from the heat.

.

That night, Levi left camp to look at the stars from a nearby cliff.

He almost could not believe that it was finally over.

He still could not believe what Ryoko had told him the day before.

Him. A father.

Come spring, he would have a child.

It felt surreal.

He would have never believed that he could ever find someone, let alone that he'd actually get a family.

He smiled, glancing at the gray feathers that he had been observing for a while now, deep in thought.

He knew that they were somewhat useless now that he had a bond, but he had always dreamed as a child of having a traditional Fell marriage, to honor his ancestor's choice.

Dragon laws were too tedious anyways. He preferred to walk around humans, to freely express himself and to live his own life exploring the world.

His non-Manakete Kin would certainly disapprove, and he found himself smiling at that thought.

Yes, let them disapprove. Let them call him and his fiance Fell.

He was proud of having found so many friends and good comrades rather than living a long life of isolation.

And he would be proud to have helped make the word a better place with Ryoko at his side when he became as old as Tiki is now.

* * *

 **And it's over.**

 **Maybe it's a bit anticlimatic, but that's certainly how it felt to me the first time I played the game. I had the Shepherds take care of everyone else, distracting the reinforcements and had Chrom and Robin kill the Mad King. It took a couple of hits. You can see the same here, where the was was still going on because the enemy king was still fighting. He had few troops, he was no match to two very driven and skilled men ganging up on him. I did consider giving him some sort of 'pissy boss mode' that had something to do with the Dragonstone he drops, but it made more sense if he carried sharp knives than that he somehow managed to activate a Dragonstone within the setup I used.**

 **I kept the confession scene nearly identical to the game for mostly the same reason. It was how the game went for me the first time, yes, but I also felt that the story would flow better with the confession scene rather than interrupting it with two or three supports and the proposal. The pairing itself is a whole other story. Personally, I like Chrom/Olivia better, for various reasons. However, in the end I decided to go for Sumia because she is the one he got closest to, and because my characters _were_ shipping them together. It's quite funny how a story writes itself like that sometimes.**

 **Case in point, Frederick's very blunt question in the first scene. I imagine that he had been dancing around the topic for a while and got brushed off, so he confronted Ryoko, presented his evidence and told her up front and bluntly. If you are interested, Ryoko is just starting her second trimester at this point, and if I hadn't been reading romance fanfics for a couple years, researching the topic would have been a lot more embarrassing. And, if you must know, I think I'll mostly stick to stuff blowing up from now on.**

 **As for the final scenes... well, first of all, Sahan is an OC added at the last second. Secondly, I did say there were subplots to resolve.**

 **Here, Ryoko is not referring to Aversa knowing her name and face, but to her knowing that she is the Seal, the very thing preventing just what the Grimeal cult wants: the rise of Grima. Right now, Aversa sees her as a very, very annoying Dragon who is meddling in human affairs and getting in the way. Defeating Ryoko would merely be a matter of pride, defeating an enemy who beat her tactics. Should she know Ryoko was the Seal Holder, the entire Grimeal cult would be behind her in making absolutely sure that she dies. And, with no children, this is not an option for Ryoko.**

 **Finally, you get a glimpse of Dragon culture. I will say it now: I have made it very intentionally when I made a clear difference between the terms 'Fell' and 'Fallen'. There is a very good reason for Levi's pride in being called Fell. That's a cultural thing that will be explained in the next arc, as will the marriage/bond feathers thing. You didn't think I forgot, did you?**

 **So, with all that said, I hope you enjoyed the arc's conclusion have a happy New Year.**


End file.
